Intruder jumps fence, breaks into White House minutes after Obama departs

The White House was evacuated Friday evening after a man scaled a fence, dashed across the lawn, and burst through the north portico doors before security tackled him. President Obama and his family had departed the White House only minutes before to head to Camp David.

The incident triggered a partial evacuation of the White House, as security personnel with guns drawn ushered staffers and journalists out of the building. The Texas man who breached security, identified by Secret Service as Omar J. Gonzalez, was taken to a nearby hospital after complaining of chest pain.

A Secret Service spokesman said the episode "was a little different than other incidents" — fence-jumpers are almost always apprehended soon after landing on the ground — and promised a thorough investigation to find out how Gonzalez got so far past security. A separate Secret Service official told The Washington Post the man may not have been stopped sooner because he did not appear to be armed.

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