Shooting
The shooting occurred on November 26, 2025 near the Farragut West station in Washington, D.C., two blocks northwest of the White House. [7] The suspect approached the guardsmen, firing at one who was mere feet away before firing at the other who tried to get behind a bus stop shelter. [8] One of the national guardsmen then engaged the shooter with gunfire. [7] Both guardsmen were shot in the head. [9] Law enforcement officials described it as an ambush-style attack and said 10 to 15 shots were fired. [10]
West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey initially announced that two National Guard members had been killed in a shooting near the White House. Soon afterward, he backtracked, saying reports about their condition were conflicting. The two soldiers were part of a deployment ordered by President Donald Trump in August. [11]
A male suspect was taken into custody, and the suspect was reported to be seriously injured, though not life-threatening, after being shot [12] [7] four times. [10] The suspect is not cooperating with investigators. [8] The detained suspect was identified as a 29-year-old Afghan national, who is alleged to have used a handgun in the attack. He entered the United States in September 2021 [13] and was last reported living in Bellingham, Washington, [14] having overstayed his visa under Operation Allies Welcome. [13] The suspect had applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted it in April 2025. [15] [16]
Reactions
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump – who was vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach County, Florida, at the time – posted: "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. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!" [17] Hours after the shooting, Trump requested 500 additional National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, D.C. [18] [19] Vice-President JD Vance, who was visiting Fort Campbell in Kentucky at the time of the shooting, addressed the nation asking for prayers for the national guardsmen who were shot. [20] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will investigate the shooting as an act of possible terrorism. [21]
Attorney general Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, called for prayers after the shooting. [22] Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate majority leader John Thune expressed their sympathies to the West Virginia National Guardsmen. [23] West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey honored the National Guardsmen on social media. [24]
As a result of the attack, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that all immigration applications for Afghan nationals were halted indefinitely, pending a review of security and vetting procedures. [25]
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