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

Intruder jumps fence, breaks into White House minutes after Obama departs
(Image credit: Andreas Praefcke / Wikimedia Commons)

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.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.