Both the National Guard personnel and the shooter are critically injured.
U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for 500 additional National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington D.C.
In a speech broadcast live from Florida, Trump said: “This heinous assault was an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.“
National Guard
The U.S. National Guard is a reserve military force with 430,000 civilian troops.
It is generally deployed to address national emergencies, such as during COVID-19 and natural disasters.
Since coming to office, Trump has ordered the National Guard to deploy to cities around the country, particularly in response to protests against immigration deportations.
After a former Government employee was allegedly assaulted earlier this year, Trump deployed troops to D.C.
Shooting
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Two National Guard soldiers were shot on Wednesday afternoon (local time) near the White House.
Trump is in Florida.
The two soldiers were taken to hospital in critical condition.
The suspect was shot by nearby National Guard personnel and is also in critical condition. He remains in police custody.
In his speech, Trump said the alleged shooter was “from Afghanistan... flown in by the Biden Administration in September 2021”.
Response
In a post to X, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the “targeted” incident “was horrific and unconscionable”.
Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social: “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen… will pay a very steep price.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said it was “a horrendous act of violence” and labelled the officers as “brave warriors” and “heroes of this day.”
