By Aaron Miller-
Two National Guard members have been shot and injured near the White House, a US state governor said.
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 authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
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The shooting happened roughly two streets away from the White House on Wednesday.
Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders attempting CPR on one of the soldiers and treating the other on a glass-covered pavement. Other officers could be seen steps away restraining an individual on the ground.
Stacy Walters said she was in a car near the scene car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running.
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White House and a suspect was detained in an extraordinary security drama likely to fuel controversy over President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey acted rashly n erroneously saying the soldiers, both deployed to the capital from his state, had died.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called it “a targeted shooting” by a single gunman.
“That individual has been taken into custody,” she said.
It was the most serious incident involving the National Guard since Mr Trump began ordering troops onto the streets of several Democratic-run cities shortly after starting his second term this January.
President Trump, who was at his Florida golf club, described the shooter as an “anima..”
The suspect “is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
White House and a suspect was detained in an extraordinary security drama likely to fuel controversy over President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown.
Both soldiers, part of a militarised anti-crime deployment around the United States ordered by President Trump, were in “critical condition,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Earlier, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey mistakenly said the soldiers, both deployed to the capital from his state, had died.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called it “a targeted shooting” by a single gunman.
“That individual has been taken into custody,” she said.
It was the most serious incident involving the National Guard since Mr Trump began ordering troops onto the streets of several Democratic-run cities shortly after starting his second term this January.
President Trump, who was at his Florida golf club, described the shooter as an “anima..”
The suspect “is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
“It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this, and we’re getting ready for the holidays?” she said.
Emergency medical responders transported all three people to a hospital, according to Vito Maggiolo, the public information officer for the DC fire and emergency services.
The presence of the National Guard in the nation’s capital has been a flashpoint issue for months, fuelling a court fight 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.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed to Washington DC in August.
Last week, about 160 of them volunteered to extend their deployment until the end of the year while the others returned to West Virginia just over a week ago.
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 on scene, as National Guard troops stood sentry nearby.
At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
US President Donald Trump, who was in Florida for Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “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,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”.
In Fort Campbell, Kentucky, vice president JD Vance urged “everybody who’s a person of faith” to pray for the two guardsmen.
He cautioned that much remained unknown, including the motive of the shooter.
“I think it’s a sombre 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,” Mr Vance said as he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.
Mr Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalised the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia.
Although, the order expired a month later, the troops remained. The president’s decision to employ the troops have been hugely controversial.
The soldiers have patrolled neighbourhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and also have been assigned to litter pickup and to guard sports events.
A federal judge last week, 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.
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