U.S. authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred this Wednesday near the White House in Washington D.C., where two members of the National Guard were seriously injured.
What happened?
The shooting
occurred in downtown Washington D.C., in front of the entrance to the Farragut West metro station, now guarded by Metropolitan Police officers. The officers were conducting “high-visibility patrols” when the suspect appeared, who
“raised his arm with a firearm and fired at the National Guard”, according to
detailed during a press conference by the executive deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, Jeffrey Carroll.
He also stated that after “some back and forth”, the guards “managed to subdue the individual and take him into custody”. Following the unfortunate event, the White House was closed.
U.S. Presidential Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that the situation is being actively monitored and that the President has been informed about it.
What happened to the military?
Following the incident, it was reported that the military personnel were taken to a hospital. In an initial message, Patrick Morrisey, governor of West Virginia, the state to which the uniformed personnel belong, reported: “It is with great sadness that we confirm that the two members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot today in Washington, D.C., have died from their injuries.”
However, in a second message,
he alleged that he had been receiving “contradictory reports” about the condition of the soldiers.
For his part, FBI Director Kash Patel, who is near the scene of the incident, reported that the military
are in critical condition in a hospital and asked to pray for their health.
What is known about the shooter?
It is reported that a suspect is in custody. As Vice President Vance stated, the shooter’s motives
are still unknown and there are many aspects that the administration has yet to determine.
Reaction of the authorities
The US President, Donald Trump, who remains in the state of Florida,
indicated on social media that “the animal that shot the two members of the National Guard” is seriously injured,
“but will still pay a very high price”.
The Secret Service states that the shooting “has, for the moment,
no known intentional relationship to the White House, apart from the location,” according to service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
In turn, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth,
reported that another 500 National Guard soldiers will be deployed in Washington D.C. following the shooting.
