After two National Guard members were shot near the White House, US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 500 additional soldiers in the capital. According to FBI Chief Kash Patel, the men’s condition is critical. Trump said in a post on social media that the shooter was also seriously injured, adding that he would pay a “very heavy price” for what happened. Local authorities confirmed that one of the suspects is in custody and is expected to be charged with assaulting a federal agent.
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Defense Minister Pete Hegseth described the attack as “cowardly” and “despicable” and praised what he described as a “historic” drop in crime in the city.
– This will only strengthen our resolve to ensure that Washington is a safe and beautiful place (…) But if criminals want to commit acts like this, violence against the best in America, it will never back down – Hegseth said, referring to President Trump.
It is unclear where the new forces will come from. The attack comes amid a controversial mobilization of more than 2,000 National Guard soldiers, ordered by Trump, on the streets and subway stations of Washington, D.C., with many of them concentrated downtown. The mobilization, which began in August, sparked local protests and legal challenges by municipal authorities. Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary suspension of the mobilization, deeming it likely illegal.
Critics argue that federal law prohibits the use of military forces for law enforcement on national territory, while supporters say the troops’ assistance to federal agents and local police was legal and necessary. Much of the conflict stems from the hybrid nature of the National Guard, which is both a component of the national armed forces and a resource available to state governors to deal with civilian needs.
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Initially, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said the agents had been killed, but later said his office was receiving “conflicting reports about the health condition” of the men, and more information would be released. Morrissey said his office “will provide additional updates when we receive more complete information.”
Trump, who is in Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday, expressed himself on social media: “The animal that shot two National Guard members, both seriously injured and now in two different hospitals, was also seriously injured, but regardless, he will pay a very heavy price,” he wrote on his social network Truth Social. “God bless our great National Guard and all of our military and law enforcement. These are truly extraordinary people. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the President, stand with you!”
According to police sources, an exchange of gunfire took place before the suspect was shot and taken from the scene on a stretcher. Three victims with gunshot wounds were also sent to trauma centers, Washington Fire Department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said, according to the New York Times.
The National Guard has not yet commented. The circumstances of the shooting remain unclear. Authorities plan to hold an impromptu news conference later this afternoon near the site of the shooting, where new details can be revealed.
Tim Moye, 48, who is in town for Thanksgiving to visit his son, who he says works at the White House, was in the area when he heard what he described as five gunshots.
He said – I saw a lot of people start running as soon as the shots started.
Two other witnesses at the scene, who preferred to remain anonymous, said they heard an initial series of several gunshots, followed by what they described as a “rain” of gunfire about 20 seconds later. At that moment, according to one witness, civilians in the area fled, while Secret Service agents headed toward the scene, some of whom chased a person who appeared to be the shooter, while others performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on one of the injured guards.
The attack comes amid the controversial deployment of more than 2,000 National Guard soldiers, ordered by Trump, to the streets and subway stations of Washington, D.C., with many of them concentrated downtown. The mobilization, which began in August, sparked local protests and legal challenges by municipal authorities. Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary suspension of the mobilization, deeming it likely illegal.
Also on Tuesday, the government filed an appeal seeking to suspend last week’s decision that blocked the deployment of troops in Washington.