Two National Guard troops shot near White House in ‘targeted shooting’: What we know about the shootout
Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth informed on Wednesday that Trump has asked to deploy 500 additional National Guard troops in Washington DC following the shootout.
The White House was prompted to go under lockdown as law enforcement agencies from multiple federal and city agencies swarmed the area and the scene near the White House was secured, police said. “What we know is that this is a targeted shooting, one individual appeared to have targeted these guardsmen,” Mayor Bowser said.
President Trump called the suspect an “animal” who would “pay a very steep price” and praised the National Guard in a social media post. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth informed on Wednesday that Trump has asked to deploy 500 additional National Guard troops in Washington DC following the shootout.
National Guard patrol on the National Mall near the US Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo)
Here’s what we know about the shooting:
What Happened: The incident took place near the Farragut West metro station on Wednesday around 2:15pm ET (local time), when members of the National Guard were performing “high visibility patrols” in Washington DC when a suspect reportedly “raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard,” said Jeffery Carroll, Executive Assistant Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. After an exchange of gunfire, other guard members were able to subdue the suspect, Carroll added.
FBI is engaged and assisting with the investigation in Washington, D.C. after National Guard members were shot this afternoon. Please pray for them and we will update with more information as we are able.
Critical Condition: FBI Director Kash Patel has said that the two West Virginia National Guardsmen remain in “critically wounded” condition. Patel added that the incident will be investigated at the federal level and is being led by the FBI. Earlier, West Virginia’s Governor Patrick Morrisey had said that both National Guard members died in the shootout, before posting that he was hearing “conflicting reports” about their condition.
Suspect in custody: The suspect, who was also shot in the exchange of firearms with National Guard members, was transferred later to an area hospital after being detained by the federal authorities. A law enforcement source told CNN that the suspect was reportedly not cooperating with investigators and no identification item was recovered from him at the time of his arrest. Police said no other suspects were involved except for the one person in custody.
Motive behind shooting: US Vice President JD Vance, who was in Kentucky when the shooting took place in Washington DC, said on Wednesday that the motive behind the shooting remains unknown, and termed the incident as a “somber reminder” of the risks service members face during their duty. FBI Director Kash Patel called the incident “an assault” while Washington DC Mayor Bowser termed it as “targeted shooting”.
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Streets are blocked after reports that two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington. (AP Photo) 
