A U.S. Secret Service SUV caught fire outside the White House on Monday morning, only minutes before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump in person. The vehicle was parked near 18th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, where agents were closing off roads in preparation for the prime minister’s arrival.
According to a Secret Service spokesperson, the blaze began in the back seat of the SUV. Firefighters responded quickly to the scene, and photos from the incident show smoke billowing from the front passenger door while emergency crews worked to extinguish the flames. The fire was contained and appeared to be out just before 11 a.m.
Amanda Head, a White House correspondent for Just the News, witnessed the unusual event firsthand. Law enforcement officials are investigating the cause of the fire, but no injuries have been reported.
Deadly Michigan Church Attack Leaves Multiple Dead and Injured
The Secret Service incident came just one day after a horrific attack at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. Authorities say 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford drove his pickup truck through the church’s front doors around 10:25 a.m. Sunday, opened fire on hundreds of worshippers with an assault-style rifle, and then set the building ablaze.
The attack left at least four people dead and eight others injured, including children. Officials warned the death toll could rise as emergency crews continue recovery efforts at the site, which was reduced to its foundation by the fire. Police said several parishioners remain unaccounted for, with sources estimating the number could be as high as seven, though some may be survivors who haven’t yet reached their families.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye described the attack as an “evil act of violence” and confirmed that suspected explosive devices were also recovered at the scene. James Deir, special agent in charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, said investigators believe Sanford used gasoline to ignite the blaze.
Sanford was killed in an exchange of gunfire with responding officers from the Grand Blanc Township Police Department and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Officials said he was neutralized within eight minutes of the first 911 calls.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos and terror. Congregant Kristin Juarez, 54, said she initially thought the chapel’s steeple had collapsed before realizing gunfire had erupted. Separated from her husband, she hid in a bathroom until hearing him call her name. “I thought, ‘If I have to die, it’s OK,’” she said. “I feel good about where I am.”
Her husband, John Juarez, 57, said he helped carry an injured congregant outside before returning to the sanctuary, where he saw another victim lying on the floor with a gunshot wound.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed he had been briefed on the attack and was closely monitoring the situation.
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