Two National Guard members are shot in an ambush near the White House

WASHINGTON — Two West Virginia National Guard members who deployed to the nation’s capital were shot Wednesday just blocks from the White House, an act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Guard members were hospitalized in critical condition.

The shooting comes as the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has been a flashpoint for months, fueling court fights 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.

A suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said the suspect was believed to be an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021 and has been living in Washington state.

The suspect has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, they said. The people could not discuss details of an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jeffrey Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.

“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the troops had died, but later walked back the statement to say his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition.

The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more Guard troops to Washington after the shooting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Trump asked him to send the extra members.

Nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government’s latest update.

Troops held down the shooter

The shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station.

After hearing the gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the shooter after he was shot, Carroll said.

“It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the Guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.

“At this point, we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.

At least one of the Guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a glass-covered sidewalk.

Witnesses saw people fleeing

Stacy Walters said she was in a car near the scene when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost instantly, law enforcement swarmed the area. “It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this? And we’re getting ready for the holidays?”

Emma McDonald, who exited a metro station just after the shots were fired, said she and a friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told the AP that minutes later she saw first responders rolling a stretcher carrying a Guard member whose head was covered in blood.

Police tape cordoned off the scene where fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene, as Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.

Trump vows that shooter will pay

Trump, who was in Florida for Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guard members “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 his social media platform. “I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”

At Ft. Campbell, Ky., Vice President JD Vance urged “everybody who’s a person of faith” to pray for the two Guard members. He cautioned that much remained unknown, including the motive of the shooter.

“I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vance said as he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.

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.

The Guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and to guard sports events.

Richer and Fields write for the Associated Press. AP reporters Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren and John Seewer contributed to this report.