The U.S. Secret Service said a man shot himself Saturday outside the White House and medical personnel arrived at the scene to treat the victim's wound.
A short while later, Washington police said on Twitter that the man had been declared dead:
The man's identity was not immediately available.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at their Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the time of the shooting and were expected to return to Washington later in the day.
The Secret Service, which is tasked with protecting the president and other national leaders, said in a Twitter post there were no other injuries.
The White House press office said "we are aware of the situation" and "the president has been briefed."
The White House was on lockdown as a result of the report of a shooting.
In an earlier Tweet, the Secret Service said it was responding to what were then unconfirmed reports of a shooting:
The shooting occurred as the U.S. is embroiled in debate over federal and state gun control laws following the February 14 fatal shooting of 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida.