Federal prosecutors say the suspect fired near a crowded National Mall intersection.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A child was wounded and a Texas man was shot by Secret Service officers Monday afternoon near the Washington Monument after authorities said the man opened fire during a foot chase.
The shooting brought a heavy police response to one of the nation’s most visited public spaces and briefly disrupted security near the White House. Federal prosecutors identified the suspect as Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, and charged him Wednesday with assault and weapons offenses tied to the gunfire.
Authorities said the encounter began about 3:40 p.m. when a plainclothes Secret Service agent saw Marx near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW and believed he was hiding a gun on the right side of his body. The agent alerted the Secret Service Joint Operations Center and asked for uniformed officers. When officers approached, officials said, Marx ran toward the area of 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said the man pulled a gun and fired as officers followed him. Officers returned fire, striking Marx several times.
The injured bystander was described by officials as a male juvenile who was crossing the street with his family. Prosecutors said the child was shot in the leg and survived. Quinn said investigators believe the bullet that hit the child came from the suspect’s gun. No Secret Service officers were reported wounded. Crime scene investigators later marked clothing, shoes and shell casings near the base of the Washington Monument as visitors and school tour groups watched from behind police lines.
The shooting happened shortly after Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade passed through the area. Officials said the motorcade was nearby, but they had not determined that it was a target. President Donald Trump was at the White House for a small business event at the time, and the event continued. The White House North Lawn was briefly cleared as a precaution while police closed roads and secured the scene.
Marx was charged in U.S. District Court with assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Prosecutors said investigators are reviewing his phone, digital records and other evidence to determine why he was in Washington and whether he posed a threat to any specific person or place.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said her office would pursue serious charges in the case. She said Marx carried an illegal firearm into Washington, opened fire at Secret Service officers and shot an innocent bystander. Quinn said Monday that many questions remained, including motive. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out,” Quinn said.
Marx remained hospitalized after the shooting. D.C. police are handling the use-of-force investigation, and federal prosecutors said the criminal case is moving forward after the complaint filed Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated May 6, 2026.