Shooting suspect made vulgar remark about White House after firing at officers, prosecutor says

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man accused of firing a gun at law enforcement officers near the Washington Monument this week made a vulgar remark about the White House after the confrontation, according the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital.

The man will be charged with assaulting a federal officer and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told ABC News in an interview that aired Tuesday night.

The suspect was shot multiple times during Monday’s confrontation and was being taken to a hospital when he said, “‘F the White House,’ and ‘Kill me, kill me, kill me’ — three times,” Pirro said.

A teenage bystander who was shot but not seriously injured has been released from a hospital, ABC reported. Authorities did not immediately specify whether they believe the suspect had a particular target.

During a news conference Monday, Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said plainclothes agents spotted the man near the White House complex and saw the imprint of a weapon on him. The agents followed him briefly and contacted uniformed officers.

The suspect tried to flee when Secret Service officers approached him, Quinn said. He said the man fired at the officers before they returned fire.

Around the time of the shooting, President Donald Trump was holding a small business event at the White House, which was briefly locked down as authorities investigated.

Quinn told reporters he did not know whether the incident was directed at Trump “but we will find out.”

It came just over a week after a California man tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives. Cole Tomas Allen has been charged in that incident with attempting to assassinate the president and firing a gun at a Secret Service officer.