White House Checkpoint Shooting: Who Was Nasire Best?

 

White House Checkpoint Shooting: Who Was Nasire Best?

Overview

On May 23, 2026 (local time), a shooting incident occurred at a security checkpoint near the White House in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Secret Service stated that shortly before 6:00 p.m. ET, a man approached a checkpoint just outside the White House complex and opened fire on officers. Agents returned fire, and the suspect was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Multiple outlets, including CNN, identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best.

Background on Nasire Best

Personal History

Best graduated from Dundalk High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, in 2023, where he was a member of the track and field team. After graduation, he worked at Amazon, but according to a friend's account, he quit his job after becoming increasingly convinced that he was God.

Following his departure from Amazon, Best cut off contact with even his closest friends and became estranged from his family. His mother told The Washington Post that she learned of her son's death through social media. "I'm still in disbelief right now," she said, adding that her son "was never violent, regardless of what people are posting" online.

Prior Encounters with the Secret Service

According to CNN reporting drawing on court records and law enforcement sources, Best had multiple prior contacts with the Secret Service before the May 23 incident.

  • In June 2025, Best blocked a vehicle entry lane at the White House and was detained by the Secret Service. He claimed to be "God" at the time and was subsequently involuntarily committed to the Psychiatric Institute of Washington for mental health evaluation.
  • In July 2025, he was arrested again after attempting to enter a White House complex driveway. A judge issued a stay-away order barring him from White House grounds.
  • Court records also indicate that Best had been known to walk around the White House complex and inquire at various entry points about how to gain access.

His social media accounts included a post that appeared to threaten violence against President Trump and another in which he wrote that he was "actually the son of God."

What Happened on May 23

On the afternoon of May 23, Best approached a security checkpoint near the White House's western gate and pulled a gun from his bag before opening fire at officers. Multiple journalists were present on the North Lawn at the time; reporters were directed to shelter inside the White House as Secret Service agents took up positions on the grounds. Approximately 15 to 30 shots were fired, according to CBS News.

A bystander was struck during the exchange of gunfire and was reported to be in critical condition. It remains unclear whether the bystander was hit by Best's initial shots or during the subsequent exchange. President Trump, who was inside the White House at the time, was unharmed. Best was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he died.

Search Trends

The incident drew significant search interest in the immediate aftermath. Below is the Google Trends interest by country, as tracked by Kiolix Pulse.

Country Google Trends Interest (estimated)
🇺🇸 United States 200,000+ searches
🇨🇦 Canada 10,000+ searches
🇳🇱 Netherlands 1,000+ searches
🇫🇷 France 500+ searches
🇮🇹 Italy 100+ searches

Of the 28 Google Search countries tracked by Kiolix Pulse, 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 🇫🇷 France were the two countries where the keyword "nasire best" newly entered the trending list as of the May 25, 2026 snapshot. While the absolute search volumes in those two countries are modest, crossing Google's internal trending threshold indicates a notable concentration of search interest relative to normal query volume in each market.

Related Search Terms

According to Kiolix Pulse data, keywords trending alongside "nasire best" include cnn, white house, and a. The pattern reflects CNN's role as the primary outlet to identify Best by name, with media coverage and search traffic closely correlated in this case.

Sources

  • CNN (2026.05.23): https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/23/us/white-house-shooting-nasire-best-invs
  • CNN (2026.05.23): https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/23/politics/white-house-area-gunshots
  • The Media Line (2026.05.24): https://themedialine.org/headlines/white-house-gunman-identified-as-nasire-best-after-shootout-leaves-suspect-dead-bystander-critically-wounded/
  • The Baltimore Banner (2026.05.25): https://www.thebanner.com/community/criminal-justice/who-is-nasire-best-alleged-white-house-shooter-killed-secret-service-DJ2CR6XFCREWHBEAUA2WBHAK4Y/
  • Kiolix Pulse trend data: https://pulse.kiolix.com
    • 🇫🇷 France: https://pulse.kiolix.com/google-search-trends/fr/nasire%20best
    • 🇮🇹 Italy: https://pulse.kiolix.com/google-search-trends/it/nasire%20best
    • 🇳🇱 Netherlands: https://pulse.kiolix.com/google-search-trends/nl/nasire%20best

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