Secret Service Vehicle Catches Fire Outside of White House
A U.S. Secret Service SUV burst into flames just outside the White House Monday morning — only minutes before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to meet face-to-face with President Donald J. Trump.
The vehicle was parked near 18th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, where agents were closing off roads for Netanyahu’s arrival. A Secret Service spokesperson confirmed the fire began in the back seat of the SUV.
Amanda Head, a White House correspondent for Just the News, witnessed the bizarre incident, which is now under investigation.
Photos from the scene show D.C. fire crews racing to extinguish the blaze as smoke poured from the front passenger door. The fire was fully contained shortly before 11 a.m.
The timing of the incident — occurring as security preparations were underway for Netanyahu’s high-profile visit — raised eyebrows across social media, though officials have not yet indicated whether foul play is suspected.
This strange episode unfolded just a day after tragedy struck in Michigan, where a gunman opened fire inside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, killing at least four and injuring at least eight more — including children — before setting the sanctuary ablaze.
Officials have warned the death toll may rise as crews search the rubble of the burned-out church. Authorities say several worshippers remain unaccounted for.
Hundreds had gathered for Sunday services when the attacker, identified as 40-year-old Tomas Jacob Sanford, allegedly drove a pickup truck through the church’s front doors at 10:25 a.m. and opened fire with an assault-style rifle. Two American flags were mounted in the truck’s bed and deer antlers on its bumper, according to investigators.
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.”
Authorities say Sanford was neutralized in an exchange of gunfire with a Grand Blanc Township police officer and a Michigan Department of Natural Resources officer roughly eight minutes after the attack began, according to The New York Post.
Investigators also recovered suspected explosive devices at the scene, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Sanford appears to have used gasoline as an accelerant.
Witnesses described the terror as the gunman crashed into the building and opened fire. Congregant Kristin Juarez, 54, told The New York Times she initially believed the chapel’s steeple had collapsed before realizing shots were being fired. She hid in a bathroom, separated from her husband, and feared for her life.
“I thought, ‘If I have to die, it’s OK,’” Juarez recalled, before describing the relief of hearing her husband’s voice calling her name. Her husband, John Juarez, 57, said he helped carry an injured congregant outside before finding another victim on the floor with a gunshot wound.
FBI Director Kash Patel said he was personally monitoring the situation and had been briefed on the attack as federal and local investigators continue piecing together Sanford’s motive.
The Michigan tragedy comes as faith communities across the country grow increasingly concerned about security — even as the Biden-era Justice Department has faced criticism for targeting traditional Catholic parishes and pro-life groups while failing to protect churches from violent attacks.