2 West Virginia National Guard members shot in DC, single suspect apprehended

Two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot about a block away from the White House in Washington, D.C., officials confirmed Wednesday.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially said Wednesday afternoon both victims had died from their injuries following the shooting.

But in a follow-up message, he then said "We are now receiving conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members and will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information."

Both Guardmembers were critically injured in the shooting, FBI director Kash Patel said at a press conference Wednesday.

"This will be treated at the federal level as an assault on a federal law enforcement officer," Patel said. Federal agencies will work with local law enforcement to investigate the incident.

The shooting appeared to be targeted, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said. Executive assistant D.C. police chief Jeffrey Carroll said the shooting was an "ambush."

The scene was secured and a single suspect was taken into custody by other members of the National Guard, officials said. The suspect sustained gunshot injuries after exchanging fire with a member of the National Guard. The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Sources who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the suspect was thought to be Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who had been living in Washington state. They warned that authorities still needed to confirm details about his background.

President Trump responds

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump had been briefed about the incident. He was at his golf course in Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday at the time of the shooting.

President Trump addressed the nation regarding the "monstrous, ambush-style attack" on Wednesday evening.

"This heinous assault was an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity," President Trump said.

"I can report tonight that based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner, who entered our country from Afghanistan — a hellhole on Earth. He was flown in by the Biden administration on September 2021," he said.

"This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation," President Trump said, alleging that the Biden administration admitted "20 million unknown and unvetted" foreign nationals from around the world.

"No country can tolerate such a risk to our very survival," the president said.

"We're not going to put up with these kind of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn't even be in our country," President Trump said. "We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country."

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Trump planned to send additional National Guard troops to the capital in response to the shooting.

"President Trump has asked me and I will ask the Secretary of the Army to the National Guard to add 500 additional troops — National Guardsmen —to Washington, D.C. This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C. safe and beautiful," Hegseth said.

Combined, there are already some 2,200 National Guard troops deployed to the city.

The Guardmembers shot on Wednesday were deployed to Washington D.C. as part of President Trump's emergency order to address allegations of crime in the U.S. capitol. Hundreds of National Guard members from D.C. and from several other states, including West Virginia, mobilized to D.C. in August.

A federal judge last week ordered an end to the deployment, saying the Trump administration's use of the National Guard in such a manner was in violation of the Constitution and an illegal override of local law enforcement authority.

That ruling allowed three weeks for an appeal.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.