A man was detained by authorities after throwing firecrackers on the White House lawn shortly after the Navy Yard shooting rampage that left 13 people dead, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
No charges have been filed against Alexander Sahagian yet, but he will most likely be charged with throwing projectiles.
The firecrackers caused security agents to order a White House lockdown around 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Some people reported hearing shots fired after hearing the firecrackers, as the area had been on high alert ever since the morning.
#DEVELOPING: @jonkarl heard two pops at the White House and saw man tackled by Secret Service.
— ABC World News (@ABCWorldNews) September 16, 2013
"There have not been shots outside the White House," Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said.
Immediately after the firecrackers were thrown, officials rushed reporters inside the building and blocked off the north fence and surrounding streets as they tackled Sahagian and put him in handcuffs.
The lockdown lasted for half an hour until security agents said there was no threat.
Former Navy reservist Aaron Alexis killed 12 people during his shooting rampage before being killed during a shootout with officials.
Patricia Ward, an employee at the Navy Yard, described the chaotic scene that began at 8:36 a.m.
"There was three gunshots straight in a row," said Ward, who was in the middle of eating breakfast in the headquarters. Security guards yelled "'Run, run, run,' they told people," shortly after shots were fired.
In a speech scheduled to discuss the 5th anniversary of the financial crisis, President Obama condemned the attack, referring to it as "yet another mass shooting." Additionally, the shooting fueled to the continued debate on U.S. gun control laws.
