Students from the Philadelphia region visiting Washington, D.C. for Memorial Day weekend found themselves in the middle of a deadly shooting incident on Saturday evening when a gunman opened fire near a White House security checkpoint. The incident left the gunman dead and sent students scrambling for cover in a nearby restaurant.
Seventeen students and staff members were dining less than 200 feet from where 21-year-old Nasire Best opened fire on Secret Service officers at a checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The shooting began shortly after 6 p.m. and resulted in Best being fatally shot by officers, while a bystander was also wounded during the exchange.
The terrifying encounter has left lasting impressions on the young visitors, who described moments of pure fear as they took shelter wherever they could find safety. Part of the plaza where the shooting occurred had only just reopened after closing for a month…