Two soldiers seriously injured after being shot in downtown Washington

WashingtonTwo U.S. National Guard soldiers were seriously injured after being shot in downtown Washington, near the White House. Eastern Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially reported their deaths, but later corrected himself, stating that both men are alive but in critical condition. The two reservists are members of the Eastern Virginia National Guard and had been deployed to the capital as part of the deployment ordered in August by U.S. President Donald Trump. Morrisey corrected himself an hour after announcing their deaths. The suspected shooter, who was also wounded by officers, is now in police custody. The motive for the attack remains unknown, and the police investigation is ongoing. The incident comes a week after a federal judge ruled the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, which has been patrolling the capital's streets since mid-August, illegal. Despite the judge's order to withdraw the troops, the soldiers have remained on active duty. Following the attack, Trump ordered the deployment of an additional 500 troops, according to an announcement by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

The shooting occurred at the intersection of 17th Street and I Street, on one of the corners of Farragut Square, just a few meters from the White House. Approximately twenty Metropolitan Police Department cars were dispatched to the scene, which was cordoned off, and access was closed to both vehicles and pedestrians. According to police sources speaking to CNN, there were no further injuries.

Shortly before the soldiers' deaths were confirmed, Donald Trump had stated in a post on Truth Social that both the reservists and the suspect had been seriously injured. "The animal that shot the two National Guard members, both in critical condition and now in two different hospitals, is also seriously injured, but will nevertheless pay a very high price," the president wrote.

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