Two National Guardsmen shot in DC are in critical condition
CNN
By Zachary Cohen, Kaanita Iyer, Holmes Lybrand, Gabe Cohen, CNN
(CNN) — Two National Guardsmen were shot in downtown Washington, DC, on Wednesday and remain in critical condition, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser and FBI Director Kash Patel.
“To the American public and the world, please send your prayers to those brave warriors who are in critical condition and their families,” Patel said during a news conference.
Bowser described the attack as a “targeted shooting” in a post on X and said the two guardsmen shot were part of the West Virginia National Guard.
A DC police official added during the news conference that the guardsmen were performing “high visibility patrols” before a suspect appeared, “raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard.”
One suspect is in custody and “there is no indication” that there is another suspect, said Jeffery Carroll, the executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. The suspect and the two guardsmen are being treated at area hospitals, Carroll added.
Three law enforcement sources told CNN that the suspect approached the guardsmen and appeared to target them, firing first at one of the guardsmen who was mere feet away.
One source said the suspect then fired at the other guardsman, who tried to get behind a bus stop shelter. The source added that the suspect is not cooperating with investigators and had no identification on him at the time of his arrest.
A source familiar with the investigation earlier told CNN that law enforcement officials are not tracking any other victims of Wednesday’s shooting beyond the two National Guard officers and the suspect.
Prior to the news conference, there were conflicting reports about the condition of the guardsman after West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey posted on social media — and later corrected — that the guardsmen were believed to be dead.
The two National Guardsmen engaged in gunfire with the suspected shooter prior to being shot, according to two law enforcement sources. The sources said the suspect was detained and transported away from the scene on a stretcher.
Earlier Wednesday, DC Metropolitan Police said on X that the scene is secure and one suspect is in custody. They advised people to avoid the area.
A woman who was near the scene of the shooting told CNN she heard gunshots and then saw a “bunch of people” administering CPR to people who were on the ground.
Joint Task Force — DC, the National Guard office responsible for organizing the Guard mission to Washington, DC, confirmed in a statement that “several” of its members “were involved in a shooting near the Farragut West Metro Station,” adding that it is working with DC police and other “law enforcement agencies.”
President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting and weighed in on the incident on Truth Social.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen … is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” the president said in the post.
Trump also asked for 500 more National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, DC, in response to the shooting, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.
Vice President JD Vance, during remarks at an event in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, called for prayers for the national guardsmen, who he said were in critical condition at the time.
The shooting is “a somber reminder that soldiers whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard are soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vance added.
National Guard troops from multiple states have been in Washington, DC, for months as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-crime crackdown in the nation’s capital, which has since expanded to other cities across the country.
Trump mobilized the National Guard in August and the troops were authorized to conduct law enforcement activities.
CNN reported last month that National Guard troops will remain mobilized in the city at least through February.
However, last week a federal judge halted the mobilization of the National Guard in Washington, DC, ruling that Trump and the Defense Department illegally deployed the troops.
In her ruling, the judge said there were “more than 2,000 National Guard troops” every day in the city.
The judge did not immediately order the National Guard to leave the city, allowing the Trump administration some time to file an appeal.
The administration earlier Wednesday asked a federal appeals court for an emergency stay of the judge’s order to remove the National Guard from Washington, DC.
This story is breaking and will be updated with additional details.
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