An eyewitness to the White House shooting incident has described how a man wearing a red anorak on the south side of the White House produced a pistol and fired at least three shots.
The shots went through the fence in the direction of the famous building.
The eyewitness said the man had been detained following a stand-off of several minutes with security guards and appeared to have been wounded.
British Foreign Minister Robin Cook, who is visiting Washington, is reported to have left the White House moments before the shooting.