Secret Service shoots armed man at the White House

An armed man who brazenly walked towards the White House before being shot told Secret Service officers he was there to “shoot people".

Jesse Olivieri, 31 could face 20-years in jail for wandered through crowds of oblivious tourists and school groups towards the south entrance of the White House armed with a hand gun in May.

Footage played in court on Monday shows Olivieri appearing to dismiss demands from officers for him to drop his weapon before being shot.

When asked why he had gone to the White House, he told an officer, "I came here to shoot people," NBC Washington reports.

A Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Olivieri a threat to the community. He has been charged with resisting officers with a dangerous weapon, an offence which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.