Two National Guard members shot near White House

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said two of the state’s National Guard members who were shot in Washington, DC, on Wednesday had died of their injuries.

“These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country,” Morrisey said on X before later saying he was receiving conflicting reports.

The two US National Guard soldiers were shot two blocks from the White House and police said a suspect had been taken into custody.

She heard several loud pops that sounded like gunshots, and then saw people running away from Farragut Square, a popular and busy outdoor area near the White House and a subway station.

President Donald Trump, who is in Florida, was quickly briefed on the “tragic” situation, a spokeswoman said. The US president asked the Pentagon for 500 additional National Guard troops after the shooting, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Local authorities confirmed that emergency services responded to and transported three gunshot victims from the area.

Secret Service were seen behind yellow police tape, their guns drawn.
“We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots, Angela Perry, who was in her car with her two children, said.

“You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn,” the 42-year-old said.

Trump has sent National Guard troops to Democratic-run Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis to combat crime and help enforce his crackdown on undocumented migrants.

Last Thursday a federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the US capital is unlawful.

His extraordinary domestic use of the Guard was also challenged by California earlier this year after the president sent troops to Los Angeles to quell protests sparked by the rounding up of undocumented migrants.