WASHINGTON • The US Secret Service abruptly escorted President Donald Trump out of the White House press room in the middle of a briefing on Monday because of a shooting outside the building.

Mr Trump returned to the media room several minutes later and said a person had been shot by law enforcement and taken to the hospital. He said he understood the suspect had been armed.

"It was a shooting outside of the White House," Mr Trump said. "It seems to be very well under control... But there was an actual shooting and somebody has been taken to the hospital. I don't know the condition of the person."

He said the shooting was near the fence at the edge of the White House grounds.

The Secret Service said late on Monday that the White House was not breached during the incident and no one under Secret Service protection was ever in danger.

It said in a tweet that "the investigation into a USSS officer involved shooting is ongoing. A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital. At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger".

The doors to the White House briefing room were locked shortly before Mr Trump was escorted out.

Nobody else was wounded in the shooting, Mr Trump said.

He had been speaking about the stock market when a Secret Service agent interrupted him at the podium minutes into the briefing.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought were also escorted out of the room. Mr Trump told reporters he was taken to the Oval Office, which is in the West Wing near the briefing room, after being escorted out.

REUTERS