Two members of the US National Guard were shot on Wednesday afternoon in central Washington at a subway station just a few blocks from the White House.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel and Jeffery Carroll of the Washington Police Department, it was a deliberate act directed against the soldiers.
The two were patrolling when a man came around a corner and fired a rifle at them, Carroll said at a press conference where the soldiers were confirmed to be seriously injured.
Conflicting information
The two come from West Virginia, whose governor Patrick Morrisey announced on social media that they had died - information that was passed on by the White House, among others.
Morrisey later stated that he has received conflicting information and that he will provide further information later.
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting on his Truth Social platform. He is in Florida over the Thanksgiving weekend and is being updated on the incident.
In August, he called in 2,000 members of the National Guard to Washington to “clean up” the capital, which has aroused strong emotions. After the shooting, according to the Pentagon, he has called for an additional 500 troops to the city.
Motive not clear
Trump writes that the perpetrator is also seriously injured, according to NBC News and the AP news agency, his injuries are not life-threatening. The person has been arrested and the active incident is over. A motive is not yet known.
The White House has been placed on lockdown as a precaution, a spokesperson said.
The airport closest to the city center, Ronald Reagan National Airport, was also partially closed for safety reasons.
