WASHINGTON (AP) — Two National Guard members were shot Wednesday near the White House and are in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
A suspect who was in custody also was shot and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, the source said. One National Guard member was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the incident who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Emergency medical responders transported all three victims to a hospital, according to Vito Maggiolo, the public information officer for the DC Fire and Emergency Services. The Joint DC Task Force confirmed they responded to the incident after reports of the shooting. The Metropolitan Police Department also said they were on-scene.
The shooting happened at the corner of 17th and H Streets in the northwest quadrant of the city. Police tape cordoned off the scene where emergency fire and police vehicles’ lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on scene, as National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
President Donald Trump, who is in Florida celebrating Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “will pay a very steep price.”
“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
The presence of the National Guard in the nation’s capital has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling a court fight and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media that he was “closely monitoring” the shooting and that his “heart breaks for the victims of this horrific shooting.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser said that local leaders were actively monitoring the situation. Bowser had spent the morning at a Thanksgiving event at the Convention Center and then held a press conference to explain why she was not seeking reelection.
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later but the troops remained.
The soldiers have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and also have been assigned to trash pickup and to guard sports events.
Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment but also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to either remove the troops or appeal the decision.
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Associated Press reporters Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Jesse Bedayn contributed.
