Suspect Wounded After Exchanging Gunfire with Secret Service Near National Mall

A 45-year-old man fired shots near the National Mall on Monday as Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade passed through the area, prompting plainclothed and uniformed Secret Service officers to return fire, according to law enforcement sources.

The suspect, identified by NBC News as Michael Marks, is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, including to the back and leg. Officials said his injuries are not life-threatening, and he is expected to survive. Marks was carrying a Texas driver’s license.

The incident occurred at 15th and Independence Avenue, close to the Washington Monument and near the White House. Out-of-uniform Secret Service agents patrolling the outer perimeter of the White House observed a suspicious man believed to be carrying a gun.

Video posted on social media by a tourist showed that the vice president’s motorcade had passed through the area without incident shortly before the shots were fired.

According to the deputy director of the Secret Service, plainclothed officers followed the suspect on foot and called for support from marked uniformed Secret Service police.

“Upon making contact, that individual fled briefly on foot, withdrew a firearm and fired in the direction of our agents and officers,” the deputy director said. “They returned fire and engaged. That individual was hit. He has since been transported to the hospital. I have no comments on his condition.”

A 15-year-old bystander walked to an ambulance at the scene and told paramedics he had been wounded. The Secret Service said the teenager was not an intended target. Investigators believe the youth was wounded by the suspect, not by Secret Service agents, and that his injuries are minor. He is expected to recover.

The Secret Service confirmed that a gun was recovered at the scene.

Authorities have not determined whether the incident was connected to the president or the vice president. The investigation remains ongoing, with officials seeking to understand why the man was armed in the area.

The shooting follows a separate incident outside the White House Correspondents Dinner, in which a suspect was charged with attempting to assassinate the president.