Two National Guard soldiers shot near White House, suspect in custody

WASHINGTON (CN) — The condition of West Virginia National Guard soldiers deployed to D.C. remains unknown Wednesday afternoon following a shooting that has also left a suspect severely wounded, according to West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey.

In a statement posted to X, the governor said that he had received “conflicting reports” about the two National Guard members shot just blocks from the White House ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Morrisey made that statement minutes after a separate post in which he said both soldiers had died.

“It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, D.C. have passed away from their injuries,” Morrisey wrote in the earlier post. “These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country.”

The D.C. Metropolitan Police said that a suspect in the shooting, which took place just blocks from the White House ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, was in custody. The attack sent federal buildings in the area, including the U.S. Treasury, into lockdown. The exact status of the suspect is unknown.

MPD Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll told reporters during a news conference Wednesday evening that the National Guard members, who were armed at the time of the shooting, are in “critical” condition.

The suspect, he said, appeared to have acted alone in what he described as an ambush-style attack. After the suspected shooter rounded a corner and began firing at the National Guard members, other law enforcement returned fire and were able to hit the suspect. Carroll said it was unclear whether National Guard soldiers or other law enforcement were the ones who fired back at the shooter.

Carroll did not speculate on any possible motive or provide information about weapons used in the attack, stressing that the investigation was still in a “preliminary” stage. But D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters that it appeared the shooting had intentionally targeted National Guard soldiers.

And in a separate social media post Wednesday, President Donald Trump said that the suspect, whom he called an “animal,” had been “severely” wounded. The president added that the suspected shooter would “pay a very steep price.”

National Guard soldiers from D.C., West Virginia and several other states have been stationed in the nation’s capital since July, after the Trump administration declared a “crime emergency” in D.C. and surged hundreds of federal law enforcement agents into the city to tackle what the president has framed as out-of-control crime. For months, soldiers dressed in fatigues — some carrying firearms — have been a fixture at D.C.’s Metro stations and near national landmarks.

The Pentagon earlier this month extended the National Guard deployment through February.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the agency was working with local law enforcement to gather more information about the attack. And Attorney General Pam Bondi said that federal agents were on the scene of what she called a “horrific” shooting.

“Our entire state grieves with their families, their loved ones, and the Guard community,” Morrisey said in the retracted post. “West Virginia will never forget their service of their sacrifice, and we will demand full accountability for this horrific act.”

Congressional leaders also weighed in in the aftermath of the D.C. shooting.

“My heart breaks for the victims of this horrific shooting in Washington D.C. near the White House,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “I am closely monitoring the situation and am praying or the wounded National Guardsmen and their families.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries thanked first responders for swiftly apprehending the suspect. “There is no place for violence in America,” he added.

House Speaker Mike Johnson offered prayers for the National Guard members shot, and said soldiers in D.C. had done “heroic” work in the nation’s capital. “We are forever grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement and for all those who risk their own lives to protect everyone else,” Johnson said.

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