A man brandishing a gun outside the White House fence was shot by a US Secret Service officer after a 10-minute standoff, officials say.
The wounded man was Robert W Pickett, 47, of Evansville, Indiana, according to law enforcement officials
Neighbors have described Mr Pickett as a friendly man, an accountant who frequently jogged.
He was taken to nearby George Washington University Hospital after the shooting, where he was to undergo surgery.
The episode triggered a tight security clampdown.
President George W. Bush was safe in his residence, exercising, at the time.
Vice President Dick Cheney was working in his office.
Laura Bush was at the family ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Law enforcement sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, say authorities were investigating the possibility the man was trying to provoke a shooting by police.
The suspect, who was carrying a handgun, was not listed in Secret Service files as a known threat to the president, law enforcement sources say.
Secret Service agents were using metal detectors in an effort to find shell casings to determine how many shots were fired in the incident.