Two National Guard members are in critical condition after being shot and killed by a lone gunman near the White House in Washington, D.C., on November 26, officials said. A suspect is in custody.
The victims, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were “ambushed” outside a subway station in the heart of the nation’s capital, Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll told reporters. Mayor Muriel Bowser called it a “targeted shooting.”
At 2:15 p.m. ET, two security guards were shot and killed.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting occurred around 2:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday on I Street next to Farragut Square Park, about two blocks from the White House.
The suspect came around the corner and fired at the National Guard, Carroll said.
“Please join us in praying for the two National Guard members who were recently shot and killed in Washington, D.C.,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement, adding that the department is working with local law enforcement to gather more information.
The White House goes into lockdown just after 2:15 p.m. ET.
Due to the close proximity of the shooting, the White House, which is less than 400 feet away, was placed on lockdown. President Donald Trump was staying at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, over the Thanksgiving holiday. President Trump called the suspect an “animal” in a social media post, and the Pentagon announced plans to deploy 500 additional Guard troops to the nation’s capital in response to the shooting.
The suspect was taken into custody at approximately 2:16 p.m.
After a “back-and-forth exchange,” other Guardsmen were able to overpower and restrain the shooter, Carroll said. The suspect was shot during the interaction and was subsequently taken to a local hospital, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department reported by 2:58 p.m., the scene was secured and one suspect was in custody.
The shooting came as thousands of troops have been deployed across Washington, D.C., for months as part of President Trump’s efforts to combat rising crime in the nation’s capital.
This is a developing story.
Contributors: Joey Garrison, Davis Winkie, Rebecca Moerin, Zac Anderson, USA TODAY
