President Trump vowed that the gunman who shot two National Guard troops would “pay a very steep price” and announced that both were “critically wounded.”
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social at 3:23 p.m. ET.
“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
The shooting took place near Farragut Square in Northwest DC, just blocks away from the White House in a busy area that is filled with retail stores and restaurants. A motive for the attack has not yet been revealed, and one suspect is in custody, according to local cops.
Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were outside of DC when the attack took place, with the president in Florida and the veep visiting troops in Kentucky.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) claimed that the two troops were from his state’s National Guard. Morrisey also initially said they died from their injuries, before later backtracking. Local authorities have not confirmed whether the shootings were fatal.
“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,” Morrisey posted on X.
“Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community.”It is not immediately clear if there were other victims from the attack. A source near the scene told The Post that there were over a dozen bullet casings nearby.
At least one of the National Guard troops appears to have been shot in the head, photos from the scene revealed.
Law enforcement personnel from DC’s Metro Police Department, FBI, ATF and Secret Service all responded to the shooting.
“The White House is aware and actively monitoring this tragic situation. The President has been briefed,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Following the attack, authorities briefly issued a ground stop at Ronald Reagan National Airport, which is located just outside DC, due to security concerns.
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Since Aug. 11, Trump has dispatched over 2,000 National Guard troops as part of an effort to crack down on crime and beautify DC.
Unlike traditional law enforcement officers, the troops generally don’t have the authority to make arrests due to the Posse Comitatus Act.
Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pull the National Guard out of DC, but halted that order from going into effect until Dec. 11.
DC filed a lawsuit against Trump back in September, arguing that his troop deployment was illegal because it did not have Mayor Muriel Bowser’s blessing.
Trump briefly deployed troops in Memphis, Chicago and Portland, but those efforts were stymied by the courts.
