The original story made it sound like she was literally outside the WH. But, scores of barricades had been erected to shut DC down, and I have read that she was actually anywhere from one to two miles away (but the press called it the “WH barricades”). It was during all the confusion over the partial shut-down.
I disagree that Americans can be gunned down by the government simply for being confused in a new city and possibly being bad drivers. She might have thought she was being carjacked, as strangers rammed guns toward her.