President Donald Trump called the person who shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26 an “animal” and vowed the assailant “will pay a very steep price.”
The victims were in critical condition as of the evening. They were shot in a surprise attack near the White House, officials said. A suspect is in custody.
The victims, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were “ambushed” by a lone gunman outside a subway station in the heart of the nation’s capital, Jeffery Caroll, executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters. Mayor Muriel Bowser said it was a “targeted shooting.”
The Guardsmen were deployed near the White House at the time of the early afternoon attack. The White House was locked down after the shooting.
The shooting comes as thousands of troops have been deployed for months across Washington, DC, as part of Trump’s efforts to combat crime in the nation’s capital.
Trump was not in Washington at the time, having arrived in Palm Beach County late Nov. 25 with first lady Melania to spend the Thanksgiving weekend at Mar-a-Lago. It’s unclear if the president will fly back to Washington.
“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, issued from Palm Beach County.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the shooting in a statement, which took place just before 2:30 p.m. at 17th and I Street next to Farragut Square Park, about two blocks from the White House.
“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C.,” Noem said, adding that her department is working with local law enforcement to gather more information.
“Please send your prayers to those brave warriors who are in critical condition, and their families,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “They are here serving our country. They are here protecting everyday Americans and citizens around the world in our nation’s capital.” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey had earlier erroneosly reported the troops had died.
Lone gunman ‘ambushed’ National Guard: DC police
At an evening news conference at the scene of the shooting, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser called the incident a “targeted shooting.”
Jeffery Caroll, executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said there’s no indication the gunman had assistance from anyone else.
“At this point, we have no other suspects,” he said. “It appears to be a lone gunman that raised the firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard and was quickly taken into custody by other National Guard members and law enforcement members.”
Carroll said the suspect was shot during the interaction and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Watch livestream of the scene of the Washington, D.C. shooting
Trump had lauded National Guard for role in ending DC crime
The violence followed Trump’s boast during the annual pre-Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony the day before that the nation’s capital was now “a totally safe city” that is “considered a safe zone.”
Trump also extolled and thanked the National Guard for their efforts in Washington.
“This was one of our most unsafe places anywhere in the United States,” Trump said of Washington. “It is now considered a totally safe city.”
The president then claimed that 1,700 “career criminals” had been removed from the city’s streets, and added that some of those were Tren de Aragua gang members from Venezuela. He said the efforts had led to the “opening of new restaurants” as a result and that “we haven’t had a murder” in the city since the spring.
“So Washington, D.C. is now a totally safe city, and a year ago, it was a crime, criminal mess,” Trump said. “And you can walk down any street in Washington and you’re going to be just fine. And I want to thank the National Guard.”
FBI assisting with investigation into DC National Guard shooting
The FBI is engaged and assisting with the investigation into the shooting, said the agency’s director Kash Patel.
“FBI is engaged and assisting with the investigation in Washington, D.C. after National Guard members were shot this afternoon,” Patel said in a post on X. “Please pray for them and we will update with more information as we are able.”
Video posted on social media showed Patel on site at the scene of the shooting.
The shooting comes as thousands of troops have been deployed for months across Washington D.C. as part of Trump’s efforts to combat crime in the nation’s capital.
“Joint Task Force DC is aware of the reports of the incident, and we have a response that is going on at the moment,” Sgt. Andrew Enriquez, spokesperson for the Joint Task Force-DC, said in a statement to USA TODAY. He added that the headquarters will release more details in the hours ahead.
Trump to send 500 more National Guard troops to DC after shooting
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Trump administration is deploying an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington DC following the Nov. 26 shooting of two guard members blocks from the White House.
“This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington DC safe and beautiful,” Hegseth told reporters.
Following reductions in recent weeks, nearly 2,200 National Guard troops are currently in Washington DC after President Donald Trump launched his crime crackdown in the nation’s capital in August. The proposed surge would increase the mission to around 2,700 troops.
Trump has hailed his deployment of the National Guard to Washington DC as a wild success in bringing down crime and a model as he moves to send troops in Portland, Oregon, Chicago and other cities. Yet Trump has exaggerated the drop in crime, this week falsely claiming DC has not had a homicide in six months.
There have been 123 homicides this year in DC, according to Metropolitan Police Department in DC. Last week, the DC police announced an investigation into a shooting death that occurred Nov. 19. Homicides are down 29% in 2025 from 2024, according to Metropolitan Police Department in DC, but the crime rate was already on the decline before Trump intervened.
“The drop in crime has been historic,” Hegseth said. “The increase in safety and security has been historic. But if criminals wants to conduct things like this ‒violence against America’s best ‒ we will never back down. President Trump will never back down. That’s why the American people elected him.”
(This story was updated to add a video.)
USA Today reporter Joey Garrison contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Two National Guard members shot near White House; suspect in custody
Reporting by Antonio Fins, Joey Garrison and Davis Winkie, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
