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Extensive measures are used to protect the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
as the
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
(
Executive Residence) and office space (
West Wing) of the
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
, and grounds. Security is primarily provided by the
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
. Despite security measures (such as a fence), there have been some people who have still managed to gain unauthorized access to the White House.
Many of the intruders were "pranksters or harmless people with mental illnesses"; however, some have entered with the intention of harming people.
History
Until the late 19th century, the White House maintained an open door policy with the public having access to the corridors and lobbies of the building. Lobbyists for example could wait in the hallways of the building to petition the president. This became a significant problem by the time of the
Lincoln administration, which saw the building regularly filled with people "on all conceivable errands, for all imaginable purposes." Some would gain access by climbing through windows. While Lincoln was, to begin with, adamant about the importance of speaking to regular people, it grew excessive and the White House began to restrict visiting hours for the public to a twice weekly slot. Lincoln had the layout of the building adjusted so he could go for meals without navigating the public hallways. The general open-door policy remained until around the time of the
Cleveland presidency in the 1880s, and the grounds themselves were open until the
Coolidge presidency in the 1920s.
After the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, public access to the White House grounds became increasingly restricted, with the
visitor office providing scheduled tours to a limited area of the building.
Various barriers to prevent unwanted access to the White House have existed since the time of
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
, who had a wooden barrier constructed in the early 19th century. An iron fence was constructed in 1819, and portions of this early barrier still exist. During the mid-1990s, the fence was expanded by one block to move traffic farther from the White House to prevent damage from any car bomb. Since the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
, the
restricted airspace above the White House has been expanded and better enforced. Temporary barriers are also regularly installed during inaugurations. During the
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internati ...
and
2020 elections, a new temporary fence was installed, with concrete barriers to prevent vehicles. The fence was tall, twice the height of the previous.
Breaches
Into the White House
''Note that the White House maintained a broadly open door policy until the 1880s.''
*
August 24, 1814 – During the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
raided and set fire to the White House, along with the
Capitol and many other
Washington D.C. structures. The reconstruction took until 1817.
* 1891 – A man climbed onto the South Portico and accessed the
Red Room. He was restrained by guards, aided by
Benjamin Harrison.
* c.1901-09 – A man in a top hat informed security that he had a meeting with the president, and was invited into the Red Room. After a few minutes of conversation,
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
instructed the secret service to "Get this crank out of here". He was searched and found to be carrying a pistol.
*
April 13, 1912 – Michael Winter was arrested after he forced his way into the White House to see
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
.
* c.1929-33 – An elderly Iowan tourist with a briefcase walked past security unchallenged. "...he made himself at home, wandering quietly from room to room examining the pictures and furnishings with lively interest." He was eventually confronted and searched, the briefcase simply containing tourist books and maps.
* c.1929-33 – During a dinner between
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
and
Louis B. Mayer, a stranger walked in from the street past security and demanded an appointment with the president. He was pushed down by a butler.
* c.1940-45 – "For a lark", a man snuck past security to enter the White House. The lights were out as
Franklin D Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
and his family were watching a movie. After the film ended, he got the president's autograph before being escorted from the premises.
James Roosevelt
James Roosevelt II (December 23, 1907 – August 13, 1991) was an American businessman, Marine, activist, and Democratic Party politician. The eldest son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, he served as an official Secret ...
's account of the incident was described in
Margaret Truman's book ''The President's House''.
*
January 20, 1985 – Robert Latta gained access to the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
by following the 33 members of the
Marine Band
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
past security. While carrying an overnight bag, he was able to wander around the
Executive Residence for 14 minutes but was apprehended by
Secret Service
A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...
agents.
*
November 24, 2009 – Carlos Allen,
Michaele Salahi
Michaele Ann Schon (born Michaele Ann Holt; born October 1, 1965), formerly Michaele Salahi, is an American television personality and model. In 2010, she was a cast member on the reality show '' The Real Housewives of D.C.'' She and her then-hu ...
, and
Tareq Salahi
Tareq Dirgham Salahi is an American vintner, International polo player, travel/tourism expert, television personality and winery owner. Salahi has appeared in two reality-television shows: ''Where the Elite Meet'', and NBC Universal/Bravo's '' ...
showed up
uninvited to a state dinner for then Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...
.
*
September 19, 2014 – Omar Gonzalez jumped the fence from the
Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House and entered through the North Portico doors.
Upon entering he overpowered a Secret Service officer and ran through most of the main floor before he was tackled by a counter-assault agent.
*
September 20, 2020 – Actress
Maria Bakalova
Maria Valcheva Bakalova, . ( ; born 4 June 1996) is a Bulgarian actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Critics' Choice Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Gl ...
, portraying her character Tutar during filming for ''
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
''Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan'' (or simply ''Borat Subsequent Moviefilm'' or ''Borat 2'') is a 2020 mockumentary black comedy film directed by Jas ...
'', gained access to the White House by shadowing the
OAN journalist
Chanel Rion
Chanel Rion (born Chanel Dayn-Ryan; April 28, 1990) is an American broadcaster, political cartoonist, and children's book author. She is the chief White House correspondent for One America News Network (OAN), a far-right American cable channel. ...
. She attended a
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
speech and was able to speak with
Donald Trump Jr.
Donald John Trump Jr. (born December 31, 1977) is an American political activist, businessman, author, and former television presenter. He is the eldest child of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, and his firs ...
The footage from the incident was not used in the film, but shared online later.
Onto the grounds
''Note that the grounds were usually open to the public until the 1920s''.
* February 17, 1974 –
Robert K. Preston hovered a stolen
Bell UH-1B Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
helicopter above the grounds and was forced to land. He ran towards the residence, but was tackled before reaching it.
* December 25, 1974 – Marshall H. Fields crashed a
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala () is a full-size car built by Chevrolet for model years 1958 to 1985, 1994 to 1996, and 2000 to 2020. The Impala was Chevrolet's popular flagship passenger car and was among the better-selling American-made automobiles in ...
through the Northwest Gate of the White House complex. He drove up to the North Portico and delayed his arrest for hours by claiming to possess explosives- though they were later discovered to be flares.
* November 26, 1975 into 1976 –
Gerald B. Gainous climbed the White House fence four times over a period of a year during the
Gerald Ford administration
Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and Iri ...
. At one point he gained access to the grounds where he approached
Susan Ford
Susan Elizabeth Ford Bales (born July 6, 1957) is an American author, photojournalist, and former chair of the board of the Betty Ford Center for alcohol and drug abuse. She is the daughter of Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States ...
, the daughter of the president, before being arrested.
* July 27, 1976 –
Chester Plummer scaled the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
fence, armed with a piece of pipe. While advancing towards the White House, he was ordered to stop by a
Secret Service
A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...
officer. After ignoring the order,
he was shot by a rookie officer, and died later in the hospital from his wounds; he was the first known shooting victim on White House grounds.
* October 4, 1978 – Anthony Henry, dressed in a white karate outfit made his way onto the White House lawn armed with knives and was arrested.
* August 21, 1986 – Rosita Bourbon, scaled the northeast fence of the White House with a makeshift ladder and was arrested shortly afterwards.
* November 21, 1987 – Mike Davis, an unarmed man scaled a White House fence and made it to near the foot of a stairway that leads to the West Wing where
President Reagan's office was before being arrested.
* September 12, 1994 –
Frank Eugene Corder, crashed a stolen
Cessna 150 onto the South Lawn of the White House, apparently trying to hit the building. He was the only person killed in the incident.
* May 24, 1995 – Leland William Modjeski, wearing a business suit and carrying an unloaded
.38-caliber revolver, was shot on the White House grounds after scaling the fence. Authorities doubted that he intended to harm the president and he appeared to have psychiatric problems.
* December 4, 2005 – Shawn A. Cox, of
Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, was immediately captured by Secret Service agents after scaling the White House fence.
Cox believed that
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is an American writer and global health advocate. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ...
still lived at the White House "and that he was destined to marry her". Cox was sent to the
St. Elizabeth's psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...
; a court-ordered psychiatric report found that he was "grossly psychotic and manic".
* February–April 2006 – Brian Lee Patterson, jumped the White House fence a total of four times.
* October 13, 2006 – Alexis Janicki, 24, of
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fifth-largest city in Missouri and the county seat of Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson County. Independence is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro ...
, an
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
veteran suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
, was arrested after climbing over the fence while in possession of marijuana.
* March 16, 2007 – Catalino Lucas Diaz, scaled the fence with a package and threatened officers that he had a bomb. Catalino was arrested after determining that he had no dangerous weapon.
* June 9, 2009 – Pamela Morgan, jumped the fence onto the northeast corner of the grounds while carrying a backpack. Morgan was arrested immediately and her backpack later searched and found to contain nothing dangerous.
* March 30, 2014 – Unidentified male, caught and arrested after climbing over the fence.
* August 7, 2014 – An unknown toddler squeezed through the fence, and was returned to his parents.
* September 11, 2014 – Jeffrey Grossman, 26, of
Rensselaer, New York
Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the east side of the Hudson River, directly opposite of Albany. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 9,210. Rensselaer is on the western border of ...
, scaled the fence and entered the North Lawn while carrying a
Pikachu
is a fictional species in the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which were ...
doll and wearing a Pikachu hat; he was apprehended by Secret Service agents.
Grossman did not intend to inflict harm; he suffered from
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
. After being arrested, he was taken to
George Washington University Hospital for mental health observation.
* October 22, 2014 – Dominic Adesanya, formerly of
Bel Air, Maryland, jumped the fence onto the north lawn and was quickly taken down by two security dogs while punching and kicking them before being arrested by the Secret Service. He was later ordered by a judge to a mental health facility. Adesanya, who had twice jumped the White House fence in July 2014, pleaded guilty in April 2015 to entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and was sentenced in July 2015 to time served and one year of supervised release. Adesanya's lawyer said that he suffered from schizophrenia.
* November 26, 2015 – Joseph Anthony Caputo, 22, of
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...
, was arrested by Secret Service agents almost immediately after jumping over a White House fence as the first family was inside celebrating
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
. Caputo had left a suicide note and will and apparently had intended to die. In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Caputo pleaded guilty to one federal misdemeanor count of illegal entry of restricted grounds and was sentenced to three years' probation with various conditions.
* March 10, 2017 – A man carrying a backpack, later identified as Jonathan Tuan Tran, 26, of
Milpitas, California, was arrested after jumping the White House fence, coming within steps of the mansion. Court papers charged Tran with "entering or remaining in restricted grounds while using or carrying a dangerous weapon" and stated that he had two cans of
mace in his possession at the time of the incident.
* October 17, 2017 – Curtis Combs, 36, of
Somerset, Kentucky
Somerset is a home rule-class city in Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States. The city population was 11,924 according to the 2020 census. It is the seat of Pulaski County.
History
Somerset was first settled in 1798 by Thomas Hansford and rec ...
, jumped a concrete barrier on the outer perimeter of the south grounds of the White House complex and was quickly arrested.
*November 19, 2017 – Victor Merswin, 24, of
Stafford, Virginia
Stafford is a census-designated place (listed as Stafford Courthouse) in and the county seat of Stafford County in the northern part of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. The population of Stafford County as of the 2010 United States Census w ...
, jumped the bike rack and was in the process of climbing over the first security fence when he was captured and arrested by Secret Service Officers.
Into restricted airspace
* May 12, 2005 – A student pilot flying a small Cessna 150 violated airspace restrictions, prompting mass evacuations throughout the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
and
US Capitol
The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill at ...
. Afterwards, two
F-16 fighter jets and a
Black Hawk helicopter
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...
made the plane land at a small airport nearby.
* August 25, 2009 – A student pilot accidentally violated restricted airspace and was escorted to a nearby airport by a helicopter.
* November 26, 2019 – The White House was placed on lockdown for 30 minutes after a small aircraft intruded on restricted airspace. Fighter jets were scrambled, before it was determined that the aircraft was not hostile.
Non-trespassing incidents
* February 1974 –
Samuel Byck
Samuel Joseph Byck (January 30, 1930 – February 22, 1974) was an American hijacker and attempted assassin. On February 22, 1974, he attempted to hijack a plane flying out of Baltimore/Washington International Airport, intending to crash into th ...
, planned to hijack a plane and fly it into the White House in an assassination attempt. He was wounded by two rounds that penetrated the aircraft door's window. He committed suicide by shooting himself in the head before police could enter the aircraft.
* December 1, 1976 – Steven B. Williams, tried unsuccessfully to crash his truck through the now reinforced steel gates (strengthened after the Marshall H. Fields's incident) and was arrested.
* March 3, 1984 –
David Mahonski, after previously being warned to stay away from the White House for making threats against the president, was noticed in front of the south grounds of the White House by security agents who then approached him. He pulled a sawed-off shotgun from beneath his coat, and one of the agents shot him in the arm with a revolver. He was subsequently arrested.
* March 15, 1985 – Chester Ramsey, was caught and arrested by Secret Service agents while trying to climb over the fence.
* October 29, 1994 –
Francisco Martin Duran
Francisco Martin Duran (; born September 8, 1968) is an American criminal who is mostly known for his actions of October 29, 1994, when he fired 29 rounds from an SKS rifle at the White House. Duran was later convicted of attempting to assassin ...
, took a semi-automatic rifle and fired 29 rounds at the White House before being tackled to the ground and arrested.
* February 8, 2001 – Robert W. Pickett, of
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
, an accountant who had been fired from the
IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...
thirteen years earlier, fired shots outside the White House fence and was then shot in the knee and arrested by Secret Service agents. Police subsequently found a suicide letter to the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
*
November 11, 2011 – Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez was taken into custody in
Indiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana is a borough in and the county seat of Indiana County in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The population was 13,564 at the 2020 census, and since 2013 has been part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. After being a long time par ...
(near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) in connection with bullets fired near the White House – at least two of which impacted – on
Constitution Avenue, NW (near
The Ellipse
The Ellipse (sometimes referred to as President's Park South) is a park south of the White House fence and north of Constitution Avenue and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Ellipse is also the name of the circumference street within t ...
and the closed
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the ...
), at least one of which was stopped by
bullet-proof glass
Bulletproof glass, ballistic glass, transparent armor, or bullet-resistant glass is a strong and optically transparent material that is particularly resistant to penetration by projectiles. Like any other material, it is not completely impenetr ...
, the other having hit the exterior; it is unknown whether the White House was a target or was even involved – the President and First Lady were in Hawaii for the
APEC Summit
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. meeting at the time. A suspect was seen fleeing into
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
from the 23rd Street, NW, entrance to the
Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge (also known as the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge or the Roosevelt Bridge) is a bridge crossing the Potomac River which connects Washington, D.C., with the Commonwealth of Virginia. The bridge crosses over Theodore Roosevelt I ...
from an abandoned car left near there.
* June 9, 2013 – Joseph Clifford Reel, caused a driverless
Jeep
Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
to speed down
Pennsylvania Avenue and eventually crash into the gate as a diversion so he could spray paint the side of the White House. Reel was eventually arrested in the north courtyard and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
* March 2, 2015 – An unidentified man dressed in a construction suit tried to enter the White House grounds through the gate at Pennsylvania Avenue near East Executive Avenue in the early morning. He was stopped by Uniformed Division officers and taken into custody.
* May 20, 2016 – The
2016 White House shooting occurred when Jesse Olivieri attacked the White House security checkpoint. The Secret Service shot and arrested him. After the incident, Secret Service authorities closed the White House for 45 minutes and also blocked nearby streets. Primary investigations showed that there is no connection with terrorists.
* March 18, 2017 – A man, yet to be identified, jumped over a bicycle rack on Pennsylvania Avenue, and was subsequently arrested.
* July 2017 – The U.S. Secret Service arrested
Travis Reinking in 2017 for being in a "restricted area" near the White House. Secret Service reported, "
einkingwanted to set up a meeting with the president." On April 22, 2018 Reinking was identified as the primary subject in the
Nashville Waffle House shooting. Due to the 2017 White House arrest, Illinois police seized four weapons belonging to Reinking, including the
AR-15 rifle
An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner, Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild (aircraft manufactu ...
used at the Nashville shooting. It is believed that the weapons were later retrieved by Reinking's father, and returned to his son sometime prior to April 22, 2018. Reinking was at large for over 24 hours before he was found and arrested on April 23, 2018, for the shooting at the Waffle House the previous day which killed four.
* August 10, 2020 – Myron Berryman, a 51-year-old man from Maryland, was shot by a Secret Service officer near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a few blocks away from the White House after telling the officer he was armed and ran towards the officer with his hand in his pocket. The suspect who was unarmed was arrested and taken to a hospital where he was charged with assault. The President was holding a press briefing on the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and was temporarily escorted from the briefing room by the Secret Service.
See also
*
Timeline of Washington, D.C.
The following is a :Timelines of cities in the United States, timeline of the History of Washington, D.C., history of the city of Washington, D.C., U.S.
18th century
* 1752 – February: First survey of Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georget ...
References
Further reading
"White House Once a Place That 'Belonged' to Public" ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', May 9, 1970. p. 9.
Public Security Report Federation of American Scientists
{{DEFAULTSORT:White House security
Lists relating to the United States presidency
Washington, D.C.-related lists
History of Washington, D.C.
Crimes in Washington, D.C.