A uniformed Secret Service officer shot and critically wounded a man who brandished a gun outside the White House Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement that the man approached a security gate on E Street Northwest shortly after 3 p.m. carrying a gun.

In the statement, the agency said the man refused numerous orders to drop the weapon and was shot. Two law enforcement officials said he was shot once in the chest and rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Authorities said a firearm was recovered.

Two officials said federal agents with bomb sniffing dogs were searched the suspected gunman’s vehicle — a white 4-door sedan — near 17th Street and Constitution Avenue. Authorities found ammunition for a .22 caliber weapon, two law enforcement officials said.

The shooting occurred at an outer perimeter checkpoint, which is accessible to the public, near 17th Street. It prompted a massive police response near the executive mansion, where hundreds of tourists and bystanders were milling about.

The Secret Service placed the White House on lockdown and rushed to secure Vice President Biden “within the complex,” according to a White House official who asked for anonymity to discuss security matters. President Obama was golfing at Joint Base Andrews on Friday afternoon, according to the White House press pool.

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