The perpetrator of yesterday’s attack near the White House, who was killed by Secret Service gunfire, had a “history of violence and a possible obsession” with the historic building of the American presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“We thank the wonderful Secret Service and Law Enforcement Authorities for the quick and professional action they took tonight against an armed man near the White House, who had a violent history and a possible obsession with our nation’s most beloved building,” Donald Trump wrote.

He then linked the incident to the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, noting that it “shows how important it is, for all future Presidents, to have the safest and most secure facility of its kind ever built in Washington. Our nation’s security demands it!”

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon outside the White House, when the 21-year-old attempted to enter the complex through a security checkpoint. Secret Service officers returned fire, resulting in the perpetrator being killed, while a passerby was seriously injured.

An alarm was raised inside and outside the complex, with journalists remaining under lockdown in the press room for 40 minutes and being instructed to stay covered.

ABC News correspondent Selina Wang was in the process of filming a video for the network’s social media accounts when the gunshots were heard. According to her report, she recorded the incident on her phone while lying on the ground for protection. In the video she posted on X, the intensity of the moment is evident, with someone heard shouting at her, “Get down, get down.” “It sounded like dozens of gunshots,” she noted, describing the shock caused by the attack.

Authorities continue to investigate the perpetrator’s motives and any possible accomplices, while security around the White House remains on heightened alert.

A major debate has nevertheless begun in America regarding the role of the Democrats and the broader left in the increase of violence on the U.S. political scene. The continuous and persistent demonization of Trump and, more generally, of their political opponents, is pushing fringe supporters with psychological problems toward such acts, as in the case of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.