News

Two National Guard Soldiers Critically Wounded And Third Person Shot Near The White House

BY Guy D. McCardle

Two Guardsmen sent to guard the capital ended up bleeding on its sidewalks while a third victim rode a siren-screaming path to the hospital, proof that even the tightest security bubble in America can pop in a heartbeat.

Local sources in Washington, DC report that three people, including two National Guard troops, were shot this afternoon near the White House. Image Credit: ABC News

A regular weekday afternoon in Washington, DC, turned into a live crime scene inside the security shadow of the White House. At least three people were shot near the northwest edge of the presidential complex, including two National Guard soldiers who had been deployed to the capital, according to city officials and multiple national outlets. The shooting happened early Wednesday afternoon near the intersection of 17th and H Streets Northwest, a few blocks from the White House and close to the Farragut West Metro station.

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This is familiar ground for suited staffers, tourists with cameras, and Guard troops standing watch.

What We Know Right Now

D.C. Fire and EMS confirm that three gunshot victims were transported from the scene to local hospitals. Two of them are National Guard members. The third has not been publicly identified.

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Law enforcement sources quoted by the Associated Press say the two Guard soldiers were critically wounded. Officials say a suspect was also shot and is in custody, and that all of the wounded were taken for treatment.

Metropolitan Police Department officers locked down the surrounding blocks, turned intersections into hard perimeters, and declared a “critical incident” as more units rolled in.

The Scene On The Ground

This was not some dark corner of the city. The first reports came out of a dense stretch of downtown that sits between the White House complex, Farragut Square, and K Street offices, a place that usually hums with commuter traffic and tourists chasing selfies.

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Witnesses told reporters they heard a string of shots and saw people drop. Photos and video from the area show yellow tape stretched across 17th Street, cruisers stacked at the curb, and Guard troops repositioned to lock down the nearby park and Metro entrances. A medical helicopter was seen responding as casualties were evacuated.

Marshals and Guard in DC
U.S. Marshalls and National Guard troops in Washington DC shortly after the shots were fired. Image Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Officials Respond

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in a statement on X that two National Guard members were shot in Washington and said federal agencies are coordinating with local authorities.

The White House press office says President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time but has been briefed and is monitoring the situation. Staff and nearby offices experienced temporary lockdowns as a precaution while law enforcement secured the area and swept surrounding buildings.

This gunfire hits a city already thick with uniforms. The capital has seen an extended National Guard deployment under a Trump administration order that expanded their security mission and kept troops on the streets through late November.

Guard members in DC
National Guard members wait for a status report when they hear two of their own were shot today in Washington, DC. Image Credit: Getty

What We Still Do Not Know

There is still a long list of unanswered questions. Officials have not released the names, ages, home units, or hometowns of the wounded Guard soldiers. The identity of the third victim has not been made public, and authorities have not said whether that person is a bystander, another service member, or the suspect.

Police have not announced a motive. There is no confirmed public description yet of the weapon used or any link to organized groups, terrorism, or prior threats. Early talk of “critical condition” for at least one soldier comes from law enforcement sources speaking to media, not from hospital officials at a podium.

What is solid at this hour is grim and simple. Two National Guard soldiers who were sent to watch over the capital ended up on gurneys, a third person was shot and taken to a local hospital, and a suspect is in custody after opening fire within walking distance of the White House fence.

The investigation is on, and a shocked city awaits updates.

** This is breaking news. SOFREP will bring you more information as it becomes available.

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UPDATE: 1605 EST – It has been confirmed by multiple outlets that the two Guardmen have died from their injuries. The victims were members of the West Virginia National Guard

UPDATE: 1921 EST – Now the Governor of West Virginia, who announced the deaths of his guardsmen, says he was misinformed. Apparently the two service members, one male and one female, are in critical condition.

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