Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot Wednesday blocks from the White House, the state’s governor said, and authorities said a suspect was in custody.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey said on X that both Guard members had died, before saying his office had since received conflicting reports about their conditions.
“Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community,” Morrisey said.
President Donald Trump, who was in Florida at the time, said a suspect was also severely wounded.
“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement,” Trump said on Truth Social. “These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
A District of Columbia EMS official said paramedics treated three gunshot victims at the scene, and that all three were taken to hospitals.
Trump deployed approximately 2,000 National Guard troops from other states to the nation’s capital in August to address what he called “out of control crime.” The District of Columbia sued the administration, and a federal judge earlier this month ruled the deployment illegal, saying the federal government had exceeded its authority.
The ruling is not set to take effect until Dec. 11, however, to allow for appeal proceedings.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for MS NOW.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for MS NOW. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.