The first reports that two US National Guard soldiers, both from West Virginia, had been shot at a subway station just a few blocks from the White House in Washington, DC, came just before 9 p.m. Swedish time on Wednesday. The soldiers were on patrol.
The White House and the airport closest to the city center, Ronald Reagan National Airport, were temporarily closed as a security measure.
The injured, a 20-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, were taken to hospital and are still being treated for serious injuries.
On Wednesday evening, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey falsely reported that the soldiers had died – information that was also relayed by the White House. At 11 p.m. Swedish time, the FBI and Washington police were able to confirm that the soldiers were alive.
A suspected perpetrator, identified as a 29-year-old from Afghanistan, was quickly arrested at the scene. He also suffered gunshot wounds. His injuries are reported to be serious, but not life-threatening. The man previously served in Afghanistan's US-sponsored army for ten years, according to relatives and government sources.
The man worked in cooperation with the United States, and also specifically with the CIA, "as a member of a partner force in Kandahar," CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed in a statement on Thursday.
On Thursday, the FBI announced that it was investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
US President Donald Trump – who was in Florida at the time of the incident – described the shooting as “motivated by hate” and an “act of terrorism.” Broad measures are being taken, including a pause in all immigration cases involving Afghan citizens.
Late Wednesday evening, Swedish time, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that an additional 500 National Guard soldiers would be sent to Washington, D.C. In August, Trump called in 2,000 members of the National Guard to Washington to "clean up" the capital, which has aroused strong emotions.
