WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Secret Service officers were injured on the White House complex on Tuesday after a gun accidentally fired, according to a spokesman, Darrin Blackford.
Their injuries are non-life threatening, the spokesman said.
One officer suffered a shrapnel wound to the face, and the other was wounded in the leg. Both were from the service's uniform division. They were taken to George Washington Hospital.
At the time, President George W. Bush was on a trip to Blacksburg, Virginia, to attend a ceremony at Virginia Tech university following Monday's shooting rampage.
"It appears that at approximately 2:10 p.m. (1810 GMT) there was an accidental discharge of a service issued weapon, which occurred inside the Southwest Gate at a security post near the White House," Blackford said.
Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House, Lafayette Park across the street from the White House and other nearby walkways were all shut down to pedestrian traffic due to the incident. Many police vehicles were in the area.
The closures of Lafayette Park and the north gate of the White House were due to a separate investigation of a suspicious package, Blackford said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/polit...44505020070417