Two US National Guard soldiers were shot and critically wounded on Wednesday just two blocks from the White House. Police said a suspect had been taken into custody.
“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington, DC,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.
An AFP reporter near the scene said she heard several loud pops resembling gunfire and then saw people fleeing from Farragut Square, a busy public space near the White House and a major subway station.
A spokesperson said former President Donald Trump, who was in Florida at the time, was quickly briefed on what she described as a “tragic” situation.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Local authorities confirmed that emergency responders transported three gunshot victims from the area. Secret Service agents were seen behind police tape with weapons drawn as the situation unfolded.
“We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots,” Angela Perry, who was in her car with her two children, told AFP. “You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn,” the 42-year-old added.
Trump has deployed National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities, including Washington, Los Angeles, and Memphis, as part of efforts to combat crime and enforce his crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Last Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the US capital was unlawful. His use of the Guard has also faced challenges from California, after the president dispatched troops to Los Angeles earlier this year in response to protests over immigration enforcement.
