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Two National Guard members were wounded in shooting just blocks from the White House on Wednesday, officials said, prompting swift security responses as police arrested a suspect.
“We are in ongoing contact with federal officials as the investigation continues,” West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said.
A suspect, now in custody, was also shot and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. One National Guard member was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the incident who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Donald Trump warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “will pay a very steep price.” He also wrote on Truth Social, “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People.”
An AFP reporter near the scene said she heard several loud pops that sounded like gunshots, and then saw people running away from Farragut Square, a popular and busy outdoor area near the White House and a subway station.
Trump, who is in Florida, was quickly briefed on the “tragic” situation, a spokeswoman said before the deaths were confirmed.
“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 his Truth Social platform.
Local authorities said that emergency services responded to and transported three gunshot victims from the area.
Secret Service were seen behind yellow police tape, their guns drawn.
“We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots, Angela Perry, who was in her car with her two children, told AFP.
“You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn,” the 42-year-old said.
Trump has sent National Guard troops to Democratic-run Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis to combat crime and help enforce his crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Last Thursday a federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the US capital is unlawful.
His extraordinary domestic use of the Guard was also challenged by California earlier this year after the president sent troops to Los Angeles to quell protests sparked by the rounding up of undocumented migrants.