Two West Virginia National Guard troops were critically wounded in an ambush shooting in the District of Columbia near the White House on Wednesday, and a suspected gunman was taken into custody.
The gunfire erupted around 2:15 p.m. outside the Farragut West Metro station at 17th and I streets Northwest, two blocks from the White House.
D.C. police said the lone gunman came around a corner, raised a gun and immediately began shooting at the National Guard troops, who were deployed as part of President Trump’s crackdown on crime.
Law enforcement officials returned fire and wounded the gunman, said Jeffery Carroll, executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. All three wounded were taken to a hospital, where the National Guard troops were reported in critical condition.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the attack “a targeted shooting.”
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey retracted his initial statement that the National Guard troops had died. He said his office received “conflicting reports” about their condition.
“Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community,” he said on social media.
D.C. police said they took the suspected assailant into custody; he was not immediately identified. NBC News reported that authorities have identified the suspect as an Afgan national.
“We don’t have any motive,” Assistant Chief Carroll said. Authorities said they had no other suspects in the attack.
Mr. Trump, who was in Florida at the time, called the gunman an “animal that shot the two National Guardsmen.” He said the assailant was severely wounded and would “pay a very steep price.”
One of the soldiers was shown in photos on social media lying on a sidewalk with an apparent head wound as others tended to him.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 500 additional National Guard troops would be assigned to the nation’s capital after the shooting. Speaking during a visit to the Dominican Republic, Mr. Hegseth said the attack wouldn’t stop the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on crime in the District.
“This happened just steps away from the White House. It will not stand,” he said. “This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful.”
Mr. Hegseth called the Guard troops “heroes who were willing to serve in Washington, D.C., for people they don’t know and they’ve never met.”
“They were willing to do dangerous things that others were not, because they loved their fellow Americans,” he said.
Mr. Trump said, “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 everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
The National Guard has been deployed in the nation’s capital since August as part of Mr. Trump’s crackdown on crime.
In addition to West Virginia, more than 2,000 troops from South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and South Dakota are stationed in the city.
Under the current orders, they are to remain in the city at least through February.
The troops have been patrolling the National Mall and making rounds of the subway system’s stations. Over the summer, they helped provide security for federal law enforcement agents who surged into the city at Mr. Trump’s behest.
They have taken over patrols in some parks, freeing up police to patrol other areas.
The deployment coincided with a notable drop in crime reports for some major categories of offenses.
Emergency vehicles were on the scene of the shooting, and the Joint D.C. Task Force confirmed they were responding to an incident around the White House, reports said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her department is working with local law enforcement to gather more information.
“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C.,” she said on social media.
Army Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard, acting commander of the D.C. National Guard in August, authorized Guard troops deployed to the city to carry their weapons for personal protection. Guard troops on the mission carry M-17 pistols and receive ongoing firearms training, National Guard officials said.
Gen. Blanchard ordered Guard troops to carry their service-issued weapons after careful consideration of the security environment, officials said.
“This decision is not something taken lightly,” he said at the time. “We are in coordination with our law enforcement partners, and all appropriate review processes are in place.”
A federal judge ruled last week that the Trump administration violated the law by deploying the National Guard to patrol the nation’s capital without the city’s approval. That decision is on hold pending an appeal.
The White House said Mr. Trump remains committed to his plans and is acting within his lawful authority.
The White House was placed on lockdown after the shooting.
• Stephen Dinan contributed to this article, which is based in part on wire service reports.
