A man standing in a crowd of more than 100 people fatally shot himself along the north fence line of the White House at midday Saturday, according to witnesses. 
 
 Philipos Melaku-Bello, who was manning a nearby peace vigil, said the gunman was standing just inside the sidewalk on Pennsylvania Avenue, across from Lafayette Square. 
 
 The man fired several shots at 11:46 a.m., although none appeared to have been directed at the White House, according to the Secret Service. He then dropped to the ground as people fled the area. 
 
 “Guns again!” Melaku-Bello heard someone shout. “Guns again!” 
 
 One video posted on Twitter showed people sprinting from the area as sirens blared in the background and emergency vehicles sped toward the scene. 
 
 “Do you think that was shots?” one woman asked, before she began to sob. 
 
 
 
 Law enforcement officers at Lafayette Park close the area to pedestrian traffic after a man shot himself near the north fence of the White House. (Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post) 
 
 No one else was injured, the Secret Service said. D.C. police, who will lead the investigation, announced just after 2 p.m. that the man had died and that officers were working to notify his family. 
 
 President Trump and the first lady were at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida at the time of the shooting. The president was briefed on the shooting. 
 
 Early Saturday afternoon, Secret Service personnel searched and photographed a maroon Honda sedan on K Street, two blocks north of Lafayette Square, which is opposite the north side of the White House. From the trunk, they removed a clear plastic crate, a large blue bag and what appeared to be a cooler, which investigators carefully examined. 
 
 On the sidewalk were other items apparently taken from the car, including a pair of neon-orange running shoes. 
 
 Stephanie McCrummen, Lynda Robinson, Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig contributed to this report. ||||| (Alex Wong / Getty Images) 
 
 After two weeks of shifting musings on gun measures, President Trump is expected to miss a self-imposed deadline to produce specific proposals on Friday, according to aides — in the latest sign of how chaos in the White House is hampering policymaking. 
 
 Lawmakers from both parties have told Trump they can succeed in passing the comprehensive package of gun safety proposals he's asked for only if he leads the debate, and provides Republicans with political cover to stand up to the formidable gun lobbies in a perilous election year. Even so, many fear the president won't keep his word given his reversals in the past, notably on immigration and healthcare. 
 
 The difficulties the administration has had in forging and communicating a policy to respond to the shooting deaths of 17 students and staff members at a Florida high school two weeks ago highlight how, more than a year into his tenure, Trump has been unable to translate his impulses into actual legislative proposals, or stick to positions long enough to do so. ||||| CLOSE Police say a man shot himself in front of the White House. Zachary Devita has more on the story. Buzz60 
 
 Law enforcement officers at Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, close the area to pedestrian traffic, March 3. A man apparently shot himself along the north fence of the White House midday, according to the Secret Service, which also said he was being treated for the wound. (Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP) 
 
 WASHINGTON — A man fatally shot himself in the head Saturday outside the north White House fence line , according to Washington, D.C., police and the Secret Service. 
 
 "His body remained on scene. We’re working to notify next of kin," a police department spokesperson emailed USA TODAY. 
 
 According to the Secret Service, just before noon the man approached the north White House fence, "removed a concealed handgun and fired several rounds, none of which appear at this time to have been directed towards the White House." No one else was injured. 
 
 The man's name has been withheld by law enforcement until his family is notified. The D.C. police department will lead the investigation into the shooting with help from the Secret Service. 
 
 President Trump and the first lady were in Florida at the time and not at the residence, nor was any member of the first family. 
 
 “We’re aware of the incident. The president has been briefed," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said. 
 
 The White House was put on lockdown for more than two hours over the incident. The initial lockdown was partially lifted but reporters still aren't allowed to go to certain areas on the White House grounds. 
 
 Police sealed off traffic on streets near the White House, and Pennsylvania Avenue was shut to pedestrians. Officers with rifles patrolled the area. 
 
 On 15th Street, clusters of tourists were held at street corners. Many were checking smartphones for news reports on the incident. “I guess we won’t be walking to the White House today,” one man said. 
 
 Sirens blared throughout the mid-day and a chopper hovered overhead at one point. 
 
 The president spent the morning at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.Trump is expected to return to Washington this evening to attend the annual Gridiron Dinner hosted by Washington political journalists. 
 
 This is the second lockdown at the White House in less than 10 days. A Tennessee woman intentionally rammed her car into a barrier outside of the White House on Feb. 23. 
 
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– A man fatally shot himself outside the White House on Saturday, the Washington Post reports. The Secret Service says no one else was injured. According to the Los Angeles Times, about two hours after it was reported the man was receiving medical attention police announced he had been declared dead. The incident happened along the White House's north fence line while President Trump was in Florida for the weekend. Police sealed off traffic on nearby streets, and reporters inside the White House were told to shelter in place, USA Today reports. A White House spokesperson says they are "aware of the incident" and "the president has been briefed." (A woman drove a vehicle into a White House barrier—apparently on purpose—late last month.)