On Monday afternoon, Secret Service agents apprehended a man who climbed over the fence near the U.S. Treasury Department, adjacent to the White House. The individual, described as wearing a blazer and sunglasses, was intercepted by agents patrolling the compound. He was taken into custody and transported to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District, where he was charged with unlawful entry.
The Secret Service confirmed the incident occurred around 4:55 p.m. on the southeast side of the Treasury Building. They emphasized there was no impact on protective operations during the arrest.
This security breach came on the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House. Earlier that morning, a Secret Service SUV parked outside the complex caught fire, with smoke pouring from the front passenger door. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames before 11 a.m., though the cause of the fire remains unclear.
The day’s events followed a tragic mass shooting and arson attack at a Latter-day Saints church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. The gunman, Tomas Jacob Sanford, fatally shot four people and injured eight others, including children, before setting the church ablaze. Officials fear the death toll may rise due to unaccounted-for parishioners trapped inside the burning building.
Police and FBI officials have been actively investigating the shooting and fire, with emergency crews working to clear debris and search for potential additional victims. Sanford was killed in a shootout with responding officers shortly after the attack.