Suspect killed, bystander injured in shooting near White House

The U.S. Secret Service fatally shot a man near the White House on Saturday after he approached a security checkpoint and opened fire on officers, according to U.S. media.

The gunshots prompted a lockdown at the White House. A bystander was struck by gunfire and was reportedly in critical condition.

The suspect, who later died in a hospital, was described by U.S. media reports as an "emotionally disturbed person."

The incident occurred near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street Northwest, just outside the White House complex.

U.S. President Donald Trump was at the White House at the time, working to negotiate a deal with Iran.

The combination of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket, about to lift off Sunday night, now stands ready at the launch pad, with final preparations for the crewed mission proceeding in an orderly manner.

The launch is scheduled for 23:08 Beijing Time (15:08 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. At 12:08 (04:08 GMT), the launch sequence entered its final 11-hour phase.

Later Sunday afternoon, the mission personnel will load time-sensitive payloads into the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. The four sets of rotating platforms enclosing the spacecraft-rocket combination are expected to be opened gradually around 21:00 (13:00 GMT).

The Shenzhou-23 crew consists of Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, with Zhu serving as the commander. They are now in good physical and mental condition and are fully qualified for the mission, according to China Manned Space Engineering Office.

In the hours leading up to the launch, the crew will focus on final checks of their physical, psychological and technical readiness, as well as will review key flight procedures and contingency plans to ensure they are in optimal condition for their journey into space.

Based on the latest meteorological consultation, weather conditions at the launch site are favorable for liftoff, with a temperature of around 19 degrees Celsius, westerly winds at four to six meters per second, and no sandstorms or precipitation.

Meanwhile, a cargo package containing nine scientific experiment samples and devices — including rice seeds and liver cells — has already been installed aboard the spaceship.

At around 17:00 (0900 GMT) Saturday, the rocket completed the loading of its oxidizer and fuel. Currently, all systems — including the rocket, the spacecraft, the launch site, and the telemetry, tracking and command network — have entered pre-launch procedures.

"All participating test systems have completed final check and confirmation of equipment and key personnel. The rocket propellant filling work was carried out smoothly according to the scheduled timeline. The Tiangong space station combination is operating stably in orbit, with preparations for docking and crew rotation now complete. The Shenzhou-23 crew members are in good physical and mental condition and are fully qualified for the mission. Currently, the technical status of all systems is under control, and all indicators meet the mission requirements," said Jian Bin, staff member of China Manned Space Engineering Office.