Two members of the West Virginia National Guard were critically wounded on Wednesday afternoon in a shooting only a few blocks from the White House, prompting a rapid lockdown of several streets in downtown Washington and triggering an extensive law enforcement response. The incident unfolded shortly after 2 p.m. near the intersection of 17th Street and I Street Northwest, an area that remains heavily patrolled due to an ongoing federal security deployment across the capital. Authorities described the attack as a deliberate ambush, carried out by a lone gunman who was swiftly taken into custody after an exchange of gunfire.
Officials said the two guardsmen had been on foot patrol as part of the federal presence ordered earlier this year, when a controversial executive directive placed large numbers of National Guard troops throughout Washington. The soldiers were targeted while on routine duty near the Farragut West Metro Station. Witnesses reported hearing multiple shots in quick succession, followed by shouting as bystanders ran for cover. Patrol members nearby rushed toward the sound of gunfire and confronted the attacker, who was also shot and subdued as first responders converged on the area.
In the immediate aftermath, there was widespread confusion regarding the condition of the wounded soldiers. Early statements circulated claiming both guardsmen had died, but officials later confirmed that both remained alive and were receiving treatment in hospital. Their injuries were described as critical, and authorities said their families had been notified. The suspect, identified as a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States several years ago and was granted asylum earlier this year, suffered injuries during the confrontation but is expected to survive. Investigators have said he is not cooperating with questioning.
The area surrounding the shooting was quickly sealed off as federal agents, local police, emergency medical teams and units from the Secret Service secured the scene. Security procedures around the White House were immediately tightened, with staff and visitors instructed to remain indoors while officers swept the surrounding streets. Traffic in the downtown corridor was halted, public transport was rerouted and nearby buildings were placed on temporary lockdown until authorities were confident that the threat had been contained.