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Two members of the National Guard were shot Wednesday in downtown Washington, DC, roughly two blocks from the White House, triggering a heavy security response in the nation’s capital.
According to law enforcement, the Guardsmen engaged in gunfire with a suspect before being struck. The suspect was subdued on the scene, transported on a stretcher, and taken into custody as police secured the area.
All three individuals—the two Guardsmen and the suspect—were rushed to different hospitals. Officials say the Guardsmen remain in critical condition, while the suspect’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
At a subsequent press conference, the executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department said that the guardsmen had been on “high-visibility patrols” when the suspect suddenly “raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard.”
After some “back and forth”, officers successfully subdued the individual.
During the press briefing, the director of the FBI characterised the shooting as a “heinous act” and stressed that, since the victims are federal law enforcement personnel, the investigation will be led at the federal level, with full cooperation among the various agencies mobilised at the scene.
Reacting to the incident, President Donald Trump condemned the attack, vowing swift retribution. On Truth Social, he wrote:
“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. God bless our Great National Guard and all of our military and law enforcement,” he wrote on Truth Social.
He also praised the rapid response of emergency services and law enforcement agencies.
The shooting forced a temporary pause in air traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. All arrivals and departures were halted for 19 minutes to allow medevac helicopters to operate, though flights resumed shortly thereafter and no cancellations were reported.
Officials have urged the public to avoid the area as investigators continue their work. The motive for the attack remains unknown, and authorities say there is no indication of additional suspects.
Source: TheWhistler | Read the Full Story…
