By Kavita Mistry 
FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters on Wednesday (November 26, 2025) two National Guard troops shot blocks away from the White House in downtown Washington were critically wounded, clarifying earlier erroneous reports that they had died.
“Two of our brave members of the National Guard… were brazenly attacked in a horrendous act of violence. They were shot. They’re in critical condition,” he told a news conference.
The police said a suspect had been taken into custody.
An AFP reporter near the scene said she heard several loud pops that sounded like gunshots, and then saw people running away from Farragut Square, a popular and busy outdoor area near the White House and a subway station.
Mr. Trump, who is in Florida, was quickly briefed on the “tragic” situation, a spokeswoman said.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
Local authorities confirmed that emergency services responded to and transported three gunshot victims from the area.
Secret Service were seen behind yellow police tape, their guns drawn.
“We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots, Angela Perry, who was in her car with her two children, told AFP.
“You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn,” the 42-year-old said.
Mr. Trump has sent National Guard troops to Democratic-run Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis to combat crime and help enforce his crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Last Thursday a federal judge ruled that Mr. Trump’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the U.S. capital is unlawful.
His extraordinary domestic use of the Guard was also challenged by California earlier this year after the President sent troops to Los Angeles to quell protests sparked by the rounding up of undocumented migrants.