Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in downtown Washington, just blocks from the White House, in a brazen attack. Police have taken one person into custody; Mayor Muriel Bowser called it a “targeted shooting.”
National Guard troops from multiple states have been in Washington for months as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-crime operation. Condemning the attack on X, Trump said the shooter “will pay a very steep price” and praised the National Guard and law enforcement.
Following the shooting, the administration ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington. FBI Director Kash Patel and Mayor Bowser said the Guard members were hospitalized in critical condition.
Patel said the incident is being treated as an assault on a federal law enforcement officer and that the FBI will lead the investigation with interagency partners, including DHS, Secret Service, ATF, and DEA. Jeffrey Carroll, an executive assistant to the DC police chief, said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately began firing at the troops.
The deployment of the National Guard to Washington has sparked debate over the use of military forces to address crime. Over 300 West Virginia Guard members were deployed to Washington in August; about 160 recently volunteered to extend their deployments until the end of the year, while others returned to West Virginia.
