Two West Virginia national guard members shot on Wednesday near the White House in Washington are in critical condition.
The incident happened near the Farragut West metro station and comes amid a controversial deployment of troops to the US capital city ordered by the Trump administration. FBI director Kash Patel, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser, and other officials confirmed in a press conference that both the guardsmen are in hospital in critical condition.
“What we know is that this is a targeted shooting,” Bowser said. “One individual appeared to have targeted these guardsmen.”
Washington’s Metropolitan police department (MPD) wrote on social media shortly before 3pm local time that one suspect was in custody. Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant chief at the MPD, told the press conference the suspect “came around the corner” and “immediately started firing a firearm” at the troops. The suspect was also shot during the interaction and was transferred to a hospital.
Patel said the incident would be treated as an “assault on an officer” and that the FBI would work with the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the mayor and local police “because this is a matter of national security”.
The press conference came after Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia’s governor, had said both soldiers were killed in the shooting, but later posted an update clarifying that more information was needed.
A task force of an estimated 2,375 national guard troops are currently activated in Washington, with West Virginia making up the second largest contingent at 416 troops, only behind DC’s national guard at 949 troops.
Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, said Wednesday that Trump has asked for 500 additional troops to be deployed to Washington. “This happened just steps from the White House and it will not stand and that’s why President Trump has asked me – and I will ask the secretary of the army to the national guard – to add 500 additional troops, national guardsmen, to Washington DC,” Hegseth said.
Some national guard units in Washington are armed with their service-issue handguns and others with rifles, a defense official told the Guardian in August.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said earlier Wednesday that both national guardsmen were “critically wounded” and the shooter is “also severely wounded” and “will pay a very steep price”.
Emergency vehicles were seen responding to the area. Earlier, the MPD said that a “critical incident” occurred. “MPD is on the scene of a shooting at 17th and I Street, NW. Please avoid the area. Updates to come,” the post said.
Witnesses reported seeing several National Guard troops running across the square. Office buildings in the square were put under lockdown, with workers told to leave by rear door if they wished to leave the premises. The Guardian’s Washington office, located on Farragut Square Park, was under lockdown. Law enforcement officers also ordered staff in the buildings to stay away from glass doors adjoining the square.
The White House was also locked down.
National guard troops have been positioned across Washington since August, when the Trump administration declared a “crime emergency” in the city and ordered them in to support federal and local law enforcement.
The other states that sent their national guard to Washington include South Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, though several state officials told the Associated Press in October they plan to end their deployments by 30 November.
The deployment has been extended multiple times, and was reportedly ordered to continue through February 2026. A federal judge has since ruled the deployment illegal, but put the ruling on hold for 21 days, leaving the Guard remains in place while the administration decides whether to appeal.
