Two National Guard soldiers have been shot near the White House in what officials described as a targeted ambush, and the suspect is in custody after suffering gunshot wounds during the attack.
President Donald Trump is in Florida at the time of the attack, which prompted the White House to go into lockdown as law enforcement from multiple federal and city agencies swarmed the area.
The soldiers were part of a "high-visibility patrol" around 7.15pm Irish time near the corner of 17th and I streets, a few blocks from the White House, when the suspect came around a corner and "ambushed" them, Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said at a press briefing.
After an exchange of gunfire, other National Guard members were able to subdue the suspect, he said.
The two wounded soldiers were in critical condition at local hospitals, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
"This is a targeted attack," Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the briefing.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey had initially said in a post on X that both victims were members of his state's National Guard and had died from their injuries.
But he soon posted a second statement that cited "conflicting reports" about their condition.
The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, but officials said they believe the shooter acted alone.
The identities of the suspect and the victims have not been made public.
President Trump is at his resort in Palm Beach ahead of tomorrow's Thanksgiving holiday, while US Vice President JD Vance is in Kentucky.
The shooting unfolded near Farragut Square, a popular lunch spot for office workers just a few blocks away from the White House.
The park, where light posts are wrapped in wreaths and bows for the holiday season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a coffee shop, as well as two metro stops.
National Guard soldiers have been in Washington since August, when Mr Trump deployed them to the streets as part of his contentious immigration and crime crackdown targeting Democratic-led cities.
As of today, there were about 2,200 National Guard troops in Washington, including contingents from the District of Columbia as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama.
President Trump has repeatedly suggested that crime has disappeared from the capital as a result of the deployment, which was opposed by local officials and heavily criticised by Democrats.
Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth told reporters that Mr Trump had asked for 500 additional National Guard soldiers to be deployed to Washington in the wake of the shooting.
