A U.S. Secret Service agent is expected to recover after accidentally shooting himself in what the agency described as a “negligent discharge” on Saturday night in Washington, D.C. The incident occurred while the agent was on duty in the area of 32nd and Fessenden streets Northwest, shortly before 8 p.m.

The agent was handling his weapon when it discharged, injuring him. His injuries are not life-threatening, and he was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment. “No one else was injured in the incident,” a Secret Service spokesperson said.

While the exact circumstances that led to the accidental shooting remain unclear, the agency has launched an internal investigation into the matter. The Secret Service has been under heightened scorn and scrutiny recently, following two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump in the last two months.

The first incident occurred on July 13 during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman was able to get a clear line of sight on Trump. The former president was grazed by a bullet, while a Trump supporter, retired firefighter Corey Comperatore, was fatally shot. The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead.

The second attempt took place last Sunday, when Trump’s Secret Service detail opened fire on a suspect, Ryan Routh, who was found at the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Routh had reportedly intended to assassinate the 2024 Republican presidential nominee but was arrested before carrying out the attack. Trump was not injured in the incident.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)