Secret Service Arrest Man Who Scaled Fence Near White House

Secret Service agents quickly intervened Monday afternoon after a man scaled the fence surrounding the U.S. Treasury Department, just steps from the White House.

Witnesses described the intruder as wearing a blazer and sunglasses. Agents sprinted across the secured compound to intercept him before he could advance further. He was taken into custody and transported to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District, where he was booked on charges of unlawful entry.

“On Monday, September 29 at approximately 4:55 p.m., an individual scaled the fence on the southeast side of the U.S. Treasury Building and was arrested by U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers for unlawful entry,” the agency said in a statement to RealClearPolitic’s Susan Crabtree. “He was subsequently transported to Metropolitan Police Department’s 2nd District for processing. There was no impact to our protective operations.”

The security breach came on the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House. Earlier that morning, a Secret Service SUV parked near the complex unexpectedly caught fire.

According to Just the News, the vehicle’s back seat ignited, though the cause remains unclear. Fire department crews responded swiftly and extinguished the flames shortly before 11 a.m. Local reports noted smoke pouring from the front passenger side door, but the fire was contained to the interior.

The twin incidents underscored the heightened security climate in Washington, especially with foreign leaders present and President Donald J. Trump continuing his second-term push to strengthen national security and restore law and order.

Meanwhile, in Michigan, authorities are still grappling with the devastating aftermath of Sunday’s massacre inside a Latter-day Saints church in Grand Blanc Township. At least four people were killed and eight more, including children, were injured when a gunman stormed the sanctuary before setting the building ablaze.

Police confirmed that two victims were fatally shot, while two more were recovered from inside the burned-out structure. Officials warned that the death toll is likely to rise, as multiple parishioners remain unaccounted for.

Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told reporters: “We do believe there were people up there that were near that fire, and they were unable to get out of the church. So we do believe that we will have additional victims once we’re able to search that.”

The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Tomas Jacob Sanford, drove his pickup truck through the church’s front doors around 10:25 a.m. before opening fire with an assault-style rifle. The truck displayed two large American flags in its bed and deer antlers mounted on the front bumper.

Authorities said Sanford was killed after exchanging gunfire with a township police officer and a Michigan Department of Natural Resources officer who arrived within seconds of the first 911 calls.

The church, reduced to its foundation, remains too unstable for a full search. Recovery crews temporarily suspended operations Sunday night but are expected to resume clearing debris Monday morning.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed he had been briefed and was monitoring the situation closely. A source told CNN as many as seven parishioners might still be missing, though that figure could include survivors yet to reconnect with their families.

The tragedies highlight both the persistent threats to America’s security and the need for decisive leadership. President Trump’s administration has consistently emphasized the importance of empowering law enforcement, securing public spaces, and confronting violent crime without political hesitation.