Shootout near White House

Gunshots were fired on Friday near the White House following which the US Secret Service recovered an AK-47 from an abandoned vehicle, but the suspect remained at large.

The shots were heard 9.40 pm local time last night (8.10 am IST on Saturday), the US Secret Service said. The suspect was seen running away and remains at large.

Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said witnesses heard shots and saw two vehicles racing on Constitution Avenue toward 17th Street, and one of the vehicles was abandoned at 23rd and Constitution. The Secret Service said its officials posted on the 16th Street and Constitution Avenue heard the shots. They also saw two vehicles heading west.

US President Barack Obama is currently in California on his way to Hawaii to attend the APEC Summit.

Officials pointed out that there was no evidence that the shots were fired at the White House.

The suspect, it is believed, was last seen running across Roosevelt Bridge in Washington DC.

No injury has been reported from the incident so far.

As a precautionary measure, a few streets, in particular Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th streets, near the White House were shut down.