- The shooting occurs a few blocks from the White House.
- Suspect in custody, motive unclear, DC police say.
- Trump says suspect was injured in vicious attack.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two members of the National Guard were shot and killed in Washington on Wednesday near the White House, officials said, shutting down the building while President Donald Trump was in Florida and prompting a massive law enforcement response in the area.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said in a post on X that both victims were members of his state’s National Guard and had died from their injuries. The White House rereleased its statement.
Washington police said a suspect was in custody and the area was secured.
Trump is at his Palm Beach resort ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, while US Vice President JD Vance is in Kentucky.
In a social media post, Trump called the alleged shooter an “animal” who was also “seriously injured.” It was unclear how the suspect had been injured, but cnn reported that the two Guard members shot the attacker before they were shot.
The shooting took place near Farragut Square, a popular lunch spot for office workers just a few blocks from the White House. The park, whose light poles are wrapped in wreaths and bows for the holiday season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a coffee shop, as well as two subway stops.
Stacey Walters, 43, was in an Uber near the White House around 2:15 p.m. ET (1915 GMT) when she heard two loud bangs and saw small children and other pedestrians fleeing the scene.
He said he heard someone yell “Help! Help!” and saw what appeared to be U.S. Secret Service agents running after someone wearing a hoodie.
The incident appeared to have prompted a response from the full range of Washington security agencies, from the Secret Service to the Metropolitan Police and Metro Transit Police.
National Guard soldiers have been in Washington since August, when Trump deployed them to the streets as part of his crackdown on immigration and crime in Democratic-led cities. As of Wednesday, there were about 2,200 National Guard troops in Washington, including troops from the district as well as from Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama.
Trump, a Republican, has repeatedly suggested that crime has disappeared from the capital as a result of the deployment, which was heavily criticized by Democrats.
500 more troops to be deployed to Washington, DC
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that President Donald Trump requested the deployment of 500 additional troops to Washington, D.C., after two National Guard members were shot in the city.
“This happened just steps from the White House and it will not stand and that is why President Trump has asked me – and I will ask the secretary of the Army of the National Guard – to add 500 additional troops, national guards, to Washington, DC,” Hegseth said.
