Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrissey said both National Guard soldiers who were critically wounded in a shooting near the White House died at the hospital.
On Wednesday, October 26, shots were fired two blocks from the White House, near the Farragut West metro station. Two servicemen were wounded.
Police said the shooter also suffered a gunshot wound and was detained and is being held at a hospital. Police, Secret Service and federal agents are on the scene and the area is closed off. Due to the incident, the White House complex and nearby government agencies were placed in lockdown mode for a short time.
American media note that at the time of the shooting, US President Donald Trump was not in Washington, but at his golf course in West Palm Beach, where he celebrates Thanksgiving Day. On Truth Social, Trump called the shooter an “animal,” promised that he would “pay a very heavy price,” and expressed support for the National Guard, the military and law enforcement.
FBI Director Kash Patel denied reports of military deaths at a briefing. According to him, their condition is critical.