ALBAWABA- A shooting just one block from the White House on Wednesday afternoon left two U.S. National Guard members critically injured and triggered sweeping security measures across Washington, including a brief lockdown of the presidential residence and a ground stop at Reagan National Airport, authorities said.
The gunfire erupted near the Farragut West Metro station at 17th Street NW and I Street NW. Witnesses reported several shots, followed by chaos as Secret Service agents and bystanders chased the fleeing gunman.
The suspect, who was also seriously wounded during the confrontation, was captured after a short foot pursuit, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The two Guardsmen, described as being on patrol near the area, were rushed to separate hospitals for emergency surgery.
They remain in critical but stable condition, a law enforcement source told the Associated Press. No additional injuries were reported, and authorities confirmed the scene was fully secured by mid-afternoon.
President Donald Trump, vacationing at Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving, was immediately briefed and condemned the attack on Truth Social, declaring the assailant would “pay a very steep price.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is “actively monitoring this tragic situation.” Vice President JD Vance, traveling in Kentucky, also issued support for the victims.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted arrivals at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport due to the shooting’s proximity to restricted airspace. Several embassies and office buildings in downtown D.C. initiated lockdowns as heavily armed officers swept the surrounding streets.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions in the capital following Trump’s controversial deployment of more than 2,300 National Guard troops earlier this year under a federalized “crime emergency” order. Critics have warned of creeping militarization, while supporters point to rising levels of violent crime.
