The news of shots fired at the White House electrified the US yesterday - at least until it emerged that the man with the gun was an emotionally-upset accountant more intent on harming himself than President Bush.
A uniformed secret service officer shot the man, 47-year-old Mr Robert Pickett (47) of Evansville, Indiana, in the knee after law enforcement officers failed to persuade him to drop his handgun.
Mr Bush was in the residence and "was never in any danger", White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said. The Vice-President, Mr Dick Cheney, was working in his office.
Secret Service spokesman Mr Marc Connolly said an agent fired one shot, which struck the gunman in the right knee, and no shots were fired by the man during his encounter with police.
Sky News US correspondent Keith Graves witnessed the incident at the south-west gate from a passing taxi. He said: "I had just glanced up at the White House when there was one shot and then two more. There was a man holding a pistol. The security men did not realise what had happened."
When police arrived Mr Pickett jumped into a bush, he said. "Police were telling him, `It does not have to be this way'."
Ms Beverly Buck, a neighbour of the gunman, described him as a loner who had "family and emotional problems". He had worked on her tax forms last week and seemed perfectly normal. "He is a very kind and good person," she said. "This is very upsetting."
The man was taken to nearby George Washington University Hospital where an operation was conducted yesterday evening to remove a bullet from his knee.
Security officers talked with Mr Pickett for 15 minutes before the shooting, said Park Police spokesman, Mr Rob MacLean.
Another witness, Ms Sook Jo from Centrefille, Virginia, said she heard a popping sound, followed by smoke. After that, Secret Service agents came out yelling "drop it" at a man who sat slowly down on the ground.