Man who shot himself in front of White House is dead ―Secret Service

Washington, DC, police have identified a man who shot himself in the head in front of the White House at just before noon Saturday as 26-year-old Cameron Ross Burgess of Maylene, Alabama.

“At approximately 11:46 am, Burgess approached the vicinity of the North White House fence line and removed a concealed handgun and fired several rounds, none of which appear at this time to have been directed towards the White House,” the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement Sunday.

A law enforcement source told CNN the shooter shot his phone before shooting himself. No suicide note was found, but incoherent sentences were found in a book recovered on the scene, the source said.

The man died from his injuries; no one else was hurt in the incident, a Secret Service spokesperson said.

The victim suffered a single gunshot wound, and Secret Service personnel did not fire any shots, Secret Service spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan said.

Burgess’ remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy, the police department said.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, at the time and were scheduled to return to Washington on Saturday afternoon for the annual Gridiron Club Dinner.

“We are aware of the incident,” deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said after the shooting. “The President has been briefed. I refer you to the Secret Service for any more information.”

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The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department has taken the lead in the investigation, the Secret Service spokesperson said.

The Secret Service said Saturday that pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the White House was affected by the incident.

Law enforcement personnel spent about four hours Saturday afternoon searching a maroon Honda Accord with an Alabama license plate parked on the street near the Capital Hilton hotel, a few blocks from the White House.

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After officers blocked off the area, a bomb squad swept the car, and law enforcement personnel removed several items from it, including what looked like pictures and documents from a cigar box, before towing the car away. A Secret Service source confirmed to CNN that the victim’s car was located in the area where the search of the vehicle took place.