At least two National Guard members were killed Wednesday afternoon just meters from the White House, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The attack occurred at the corner of 17th Street and I Street. … North-West, an area where a large part of the Federal Security Service is concentrated and is a few minutes’ walk from the presidential residence.
Washington Police confirmed that the scene of the incident was under control and the suspect was detained. At the time of the shooting, President Donald Trump was in Florida, heading to the Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, the White House remains closed, awaiting news.
This afternoon, local and federal agents cordoned off several buildings and mobilized dozens of emergency vehicles, while a group of forces gathered in front of the entrance to the Club Quarters Hotel, which is one of the usual entrances to the administrative district of Northwest Washington, and very close to the museum district and souvenir shops.
Some witnesses who were in the street told ABC that they first heard two gunshots, and immediately afterwards a short, very rapid explosion rang out. The White House indicated that it has been following the case from the beginning. “The president has been notified and is monitoring the situation,” spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt said in an email.
The event takes place in a context A strong military presence in the capital. Since August, after declaring a state of emergency due to a crime wave, the Trump administration has deployed more than 2,300 members of the National Guard to Washington, from eight states and the same region.
They patrol the city under the command of the Secretary of the Army and are commissioned as special assistants to the United States Marshals Service, which participates in the service. This deployment, which was accompanied by the dispatch of hundreds of federal agents from agencies such as the FBI or the Drug Enforcement Administration, has led to tensions with local authorities, which are suing in court to regain control of Washington’s security.