Two National Guard Members Shot Near the White House; Afghan Suspect Held

Two National Guard members were shot Wednesday afternoon a few blocks from the White House in what officials called a targeted attack, and a suspect described as an Afghan national who once assisted U.S. forces was taken into custody, NBC News and CBS News reported.

The shooting happened at 2:15 p.m. near the Farragut Square Metro station, around 17th and I streets NW, according to NBC News. The guardsmen were on “high visibility patrols” when they were “ambushed” by a person who “came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members,” Jeff Carroll, an executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said at a news conference, NBC News reported. The two guardsmen were critically wounded, CBS News reported. The suspect was also shot, taken to a hospital and held, though it was not clear who fired at him, NBC News said. Other Guard members in the area helped restrain him until he was taken into custody.

NBC News, citing four senior law enforcement sources, said the suspect was an Afghan national who had served alongside U.S. forces. CBS News described the attack as intentional and targeted, based on law enforcement sources.

Both guardsmen belonged to the West Virginia National Guard, NBC News and CBS News reported. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey first said both had died, the outlets reported, then said his office had received conflicting reports about their condition. Both outlets also said officials were seeking no other suspect, and police had not identified a motive.

The Guard has been stationed in Washington since August under a directive from President Trump to curb crime in the capital, NBC News noted, a deployment that has been highly contested.

Late Wednesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an indefinite halt. “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” said a statement obtained by CBS News. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the attack targeted, NBC News reported.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and the police described the attack as targeted, and the investigation was continuing.