The Secret Service says one of its uniformed officers shot a man with a gun who approached a checkpoint outside the White House this afternoon and refused to drop his weapon.

The White House was briefly placed on a security alert. President Barack Obama was not there. He was playing golf.

According to David Iacovetti, a Secret Service deputy assistant director, the armed man approached the checkpoint on E Street and the officer repeatedly ordered the man to drop his gun, but the man ignored those commands.

Iacovetti says the officer fired one shot at the man, who was taken to a hospital for treatment, and the gun was recovered at the scene.

A D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman says the man was in critical condition when he was transported.

A U.S. law enforcement official says authorities have identified the gunman as Jesse Oliveri of Ashland, Pennsylvania. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official says federal agents found ammunition inside a Toyota seda.  (Associated Press)

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