Two US national guard troops shot near White House, suspect in custody

The White House has been placed under lockdown, and a suspect is in custody.

Officers from several law enforcement agencies swarmed the area following the shooting. Source: Getty / Anna Moneymaker

Two soldiers from the United States national guard were shot and critically injured on Thursday morning (AEDT) near the White House in what officials described as a targeted attack. The suspect is in custody after suffering gunshot wounds during the incident.

The attack prompted the White House to go into lockdown as law enforcement from multiple federal and city agencies swarmed the area. US President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time of the attack.

The two wounded troops were part of a "high-visibility patrol" a few blocks from the White House when the suspect came around a corner and "ambushed" them, police said at a press briefing.

After an exchange of gunfire, other national guard members were able to subdue the suspect, they said.

The two wounded soldiers were in critical condition at local hospitals, Federal Bureau of Investigation director Kash Patel said.

FBI director Kash Patel said the two troops were in critical condition. Source: AP / Mark Schiefelbein

West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey had initially said in a post on X that both victims were members of his state's national guard and had died from their injuries. But he soon posted a second statement that cited "conflicting reports" about their condition.

The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, but officials said they believe the shooter acted alone. The identities of the suspect and the victims have not been made public.

Trump is at his resort in Palm Beach ahead of Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday, while US vice president JD Vance is in Kentucky.

The two wounded troops had been part of a "high-visibility patrol" a few blocks from the White House, police said. Source: AAP / AP / Rahmat Gul

In a social media post, Trump said the suspected shooter would "pay a very steep price" and praised the national guard.

More national guard troops to be deployed

Defence secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Trump had asked for 500 additional national guard soldiers to be deployed to Washington in the wake of the shooting.

National guard soldiers have been in Washington since August, when Trump deployed them to the streets as part of his contentious immigration and crime crackdown targeting Democratic-led cities.

National guard troops have been in Washington since August, when they were deployed by US President Donald Trump. Source: AP / Mark Schiefelbein

As of Wednesday, there were about 2,200 national guard troops in Washington, including contingents from the District of Columbia as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that crime has disappeared from the capital as a result of the deployment, which was opposed by local officials and heavily criticised by Democrats.

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