500 Additional Guardsmen Ordered to D.C. After Shooting

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., following the shooting of two West Virginia guardsmen near the White House, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday. The move, requested by Trump, will “only stiffen the resolve,” Hegseth added. The comment was made by the Secetary of War at around 4:30 p.m., just shortly after the shooting.

The two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot Wednesday in downtown Washington, D.C., near the White House, authorities said. Their conditions remain unknown.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the guardsmen were believed to be dead but later posted on social media that there were “conflicting reports” about their conditions.

Trump said the two guardsmen were “critically wounded” and the shooter was “severely wounded.”

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People.”

The guardsmen exchanged gunfire with the suspect before being shot, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter. The suspect was detained and taken away on a stretcher, the officials said.

The suspect approached the guardsmen and appeared to target them, firing first at one who was only feet away, three law enforcement officials said. One official said the suspect then fired at the second guardsman, who tried to take cover behind a bus stop shelter. The suspect had no identification and is not cooperating with investigators, one official said.

The shooting occurred near the Farragut West Metro station. One victim was airlifted to a hospital, U.S. Park Police said on X. It was not immediately clear whether the person transported was one of the guardsmen or the suspect.

Vice President JD Vance, speaking to troops at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, called the incident a “somber reminder” of the risks service members face.

“We still don’t know the motive. There’s a lot that we haven’t yet figured out,” Vance said. “First of all, I want everybody who’s a person of faith to say a prayer for those two national guardsmen.”

FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi asked for prayers for the victims. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed two National Guardsmen had been shot.

No other victims were reported, and the motive remains unclear, a source familiar with the investigation said.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the scene is secure and one suspect is in custody. Authorities urged the public to avoid the area.

Flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were briefly halted for medical evacuation helicopters but have resumed normal operations, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

--REAL AMERICA'S VOICE

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