Two Arrested After Security Breaches Trigger White House Lockdown

The United States Secret Service placed the White House on a temporary lockdown Monday morning after two separate security incidents occurred near Lafayette Square Park around 10:00 a.m. ET. A driver crashed a silver sedan into a historical marker on a brick walkway north of the White House and fought with Secret Service agents and National Guard soldiers. Simultaneously, a second individual jumped a security barricade near the northwest corner of the park at Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street NW.

Both individuals were arrested. The driver faces charges of assault on a police officer and assault with a dangerous weapon, while the second man is charged with unlawful entry. The Metropolitan Police Department's bomb squad swept the silver sedan and determined the vehicle was safe.

President Donald Trump was on the premises during the events but remained unharmed. The lockdown lasted between 30 and 60 minutes, during which reporters were ordered to stay indoors in the West Wing briefing room and surrounding roads were closed to traffic. The Secret Service is currently investigating whether the two breaches were coordinated.