This story is developing and will be updated.
The Secret Service on Friday apprehended a man they confirmed set himself on fire in front of the White House.
The man, who Secret Service said was on an electric wheelchair-type scooter, lit his jacket on fire while sitting outside the North Fence of the White House.
Officers extinguished the fire and the man was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The Secret Service has not yet identified the man nor his motives.
The White House was also on lockdown, according to the Associated Press. President Trump was in the White House at the time, per ABC News.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof posted the news on Twitter around 3 p.m.
Someone apparently set himself on fire in front of the White House just now. I was coming out of the West Wing, and the Sevret Service isn’t letting anyone out onto Pennsylvania Ave. They say there are also suspicious packages.
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) April 12, 2019
The Secret Service announced the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue to foot traffic and 17th Street between H and G to vehicles via tweet a few minutes after.
UPDATE: Pennsylvania Ave. is closed to pedestrian traffic, 17th street between H and G is closed to vehicular traffic.
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) April 12, 2019
Mark Irons, White House correspondent for Catholic television channel ETWN posted a video of the Secret Service apprehending the man. The Secret Service has not identified the man or given any indication of a motive.
HAPPENING NOW: @SecretService just apprehended man who tried to set himself on fire outside @WhiteHouse agent tells us pic.twitter.com/GvPYEZ8Cnm
— Mark Irons (@MarkIronsMedia) April 12, 2019
NBC4 reported that a suspicious package was found near the man. Secret Service and D.C. police are searching two bags found in close proximity to him, per CBS.
The Washington Post reported that, as of 3:30 p.m., no criminal charges had been filed against the man.
This post originally appeared on WAMU.
