Editor’s note: West Virginia’s governor initially said the two Guard members had died, but has since said there is conflicting information about their conditions.
Two West Virginia National Guard members were in critical condition Wednesday after an unidentified man raised his arm and opened fire on them in an apparent “targeted shooting” near the White House, officials said.
The Guard members were a woman and a man, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the situation, and were being treated at local hospitals. The unidentified suspect turned a corner, raised his gun arm and opened fire around 2:15 p.m., MPD Deputy Executive Director Jeff Carroll said.
“It appears … to be a lone gunman who raised a firearm and ambushed these National Guard members,” he said.
An unidentified man in a military uniform lies on a stretcher inside an ambulance, Nov. 26, 2025, in downtown Washington, DC. Two National Guard soldiers were shot just blocks from the White House, according to authorities.
Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images
The suspect was taken into custody after being subdued by other nearby Guard members, according to Carroll. The unidentified male suspect was in critical condition.
“They heard the gunshots and were actually able to intervene and restrain the suspect after he was shot on the ground,” Carroll said of the Guard members who responded.
Metropolitan Police Department Executive Deputy Chief Jeffery Carroll speaks during a press conference accompanied by US Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, after two members of the National Guard were shot near the White House in Washington, DC, on November 26, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
It was not immediately known who shot the suspect, but Carroll said the Guard members who were shot were armed.
A motive was not immediately determined, however, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the individual “appeared to be targeting” Guard members.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the US Marshals, ATF and FBI, responded to the shooting. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her agency was working with local authorities to gather more information.
National Guard soldiers move through the area following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House, November 26, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
According to a DC police officer, an active shooter incident was reported at 2:20 pm ET at the entrance to the Farragut West subway station.
A US Capitol Park Police helicopter is seen on the National Mall evacuating a National Guard shooting victim, November 26, 2025 in Washington, DC
Emily Hanson/AP
President Donald Trump has been briefed about the shooting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
A White House official confirmed that the White House was placed on lockdown, but that the order was later lifted around 5 p.m. Trump is currently in Florida, where he will spend Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago club.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, both seriously injured and now in two separate hospitals, is also seriously injured, but will still pay a very high price,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Wednesday afternoon. “God bless our Great National Guard and all of our military and law enforcement. These are truly great people. I, as President of the United States and all those associated with the Office of the President, stand with you!”
National Guard members and law enforcement officers at the scene of a shooting, Nov. 26, 2025, in Washington, DC
Jay O’Brien/ABC News
Shooting site near the White House
Google Earth, DC Police Department
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of President Trump’s federal takeover of the city in August. As of the most recent update, there were 2,188 Guard troops assigned to D.C.
On Tuesday, during the traditional turkey pardon at the White House, Trump touted his administration’s takeover of the streets of DC. He said it was “one of the most unsafe places in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city.”
“You could walk down any street in Washington and you’ll be fine. And I want to thank the National Guard. I want to thank them for the job they’ve done here, which is incredible,” Trump said at the event.
Emergency vehicles gather in a cordoned off area near where National Guard soldiers appear to have been shot near the White House, November 26, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Vice President JD Vance addressed the shooting Wednesday while speaking to troops at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, where he was spending the day serving meals to soldiers and their families ahead of Thanksgiving.
“We’re still learning everything. We still don’t know why,” Vance said.
“It is a somber reminder that soldiers, whether active duty reserve or National Guard, are the sword and shield of the United States of America,” the vice president said. “And as a person who goes to work every day in that building and knows that there are many people who wear the uniform of the United States military, let me thank you very personally for what you are doing.”
A member of the US Secret Service secures the area near a shooting near the White House on November 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a video of himself talking about the shooting on his X account.
He called it a “cowardly and cowardly act” and said President Trump had asked him to send another 500 troops to DC.
“This will only strengthen our resolve to ensure that Washington, DC is safe and beautiful. The drop in crime has been historic, the rise in security has been historic. But if criminals want to carry out things like this, violence against America’s best, we will never back down,” he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Chris Boccia, Anne Flaherty, Jay O’Brien, Alexandra Hutzler and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
