Gunshots fired near White House

Gunshots fired in confrontation between occupants in two vehicles.

WASHINGTON: Gunshots were fired near the White House on Friday night on Constitution Avenue in a confrontation between occupants in two vehicles, US federal law enforcement officers told The Washington Post.

After the incident, an abandoned vehicle, a rifle – possibly an AK-47 – and spent cartridges were recovered from the site, which is a few blocks away from the White House, near Roosevelt Bridge.

An incident of this nature is unlikely and rare in the vicinity.

Sergeant David Schlosser said:

The reason why this [the incident] is of interest is because of the location.

The incident caused panic and alerted the security officials, but in US Park police spokesman’s belief, the White House was possibly not the target.

Members of the Secret Service heard the gunshots a few minutes after 9 pm, the service told The Washington Post.

The vehicle was recovered from a grassy area and a witness who was present there at the site informed the police that “someone ran from the vehicle towards the bridge.”

However, no injuries were reported in the incident. The authorities added that US President Barack Obama and the first lady were not present in the White House when the incident took place.