Washington DC - An armed man was shot by US Secret Service (USSS) agents in downtown Washington on Monday, officials said, prompting a brief lockdown of the nearby White House.

The shooting near the National Mall occurred shortly after a motorcade carrying Vice President JD Vance had passed by the area, USSS Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said.

Quinn told reporters he did not believe that the vice president was an intended target and said he could not speculate if it was related to recent attempts on the life of President Donald Trump.

"I'm not going to guess on that," he said. "Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don't know, but we will find out."

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Quinn said the shooting took place after Secret Service agents identified a "suspicious individual," who appeared to have a firearm.

The man fled on foot after being approached by the officers, drew his weapon, and opened fire, Quinn said.

The Secret Service agents returned fire and wounded the suspect. He was taken to the hospital. His condition was not immediately known.

Quinn said a bystander, a juvenile, was slightly wounded.

The incident comes slightly more than a week after a gunman tried to break through security at a Washington hotel where Trump was attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Suspect Cole Allen (31) has been charged with seeking to assassinate the president.