Un video recorded almost by chance with the smartphone, the noise suddenness of a tight sequence of shots and the need to flee immediately for safety. The images of Selina WangABC News White House correspondent, immediately went around the world. A raw and unfiltered testimony of fear experienced live by reporters in Washington.
Gunshots at the White House: the video of journalist Selina Wang
The reporter was recording a video intended for social channels right on the north lawn of the presidential complex when, suddenly, the entire area was shaken by the explosion of dozens of gunshots. In the video you can feel the immediate tension of the moment. The journalist was forced to abruptly stop recording while the officers imposed the immediate evacuation of the external area.
Journalists fleeing after shooting near the White House. (Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«I was in the middle of shooting with my iPhone when we heard the shots. It sounded like a barrage of dozens of shots. We were told to run immediately towards the press room», said Wang herself through her X account, documenting the convulsive escape of the media present on site. The press room was immediately sealed off by the police, forcing journalists into hiding forced lockdown of about an hourescorted by Secret Service agents with weapons drawn to protect access.
The intervention of the security forces and details on the attacker
The shooting triggered the highest national security protocols within the government perimeter. The attacker opened fire on guard posts along the outer fence, before being neutralized by the firefight with the men of the Secret Service and the FBI. Rushed to hospital, the man died shortly afterwards due to the injuries sustained in the impact.
Members of the Secret Service inspect the White House perimeter. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
Investigating authorities later identified the attacker as a young man with proven mental problemson which a judicial ban on approaching the White House due to previous intrusion attempts that occurred last year. At the time of the attack, President Donald Trump was inside the official residence. However, the security leaders confirmed that the situation was isolated promptly and that the president was never in any real danger.
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