Kemi Osukoya | November 26, 2025
WASHINGTON— Two National Guard soldiers standing duty near the White House were critically wounded Wednesday afternoon when a lone gunman opened fire in what federal officials described as a targeted attack, deepening security concerns in the nation’s capital and immediately sharpening the political debate surrounding President Donald Trump’s crime-focused agenda.
The shooting unfolded near 17th and I Streets NW downtown D.C, only blocks from the White House, prompting a rapid lockdown of the surrounding area. The Metropolitan Police Department said officers returned fire, wounding a suspect who is now in custody. Police secured several blocks as dozens of emergency responders and law-enforcement vehicles flooded the normally busy downtown corridor.
Three victims, including the two Guards—a man and a woman, were transported to trauma centers, according to D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson Vito Maggiolo. Witnesses reported hearing a rapid burst of gunfire that sent office workers and pedestrians scrambling for safety. The Guardsmen’s identities and conditions have not yet been released.
For several tense minutes after the shooting, the White House entered Condition Red, its highest alert level, before security officials downgraded it to Condition Orange. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and senior aides were not on the grounds at the time. A ground stop was also issued at Reagan National Airport, temporarily halting flights due to law-enforcement activity in the city.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavtitt said the administration is “aware and actively monitoring this tragic situation,” and confirmed the President had been briefed. Trump later posted on social media, calling the shooter “the animal” and warning the suspect would “pay a very steep price,” while praising the National Guard, military, and law-enforcement personnel.
Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the President has ordered the deployment of an additional 500 National Guardsmen to Washington D.C. after the shooting incident took place.
Incident Reinforces Trump’s Political Messaging
The attack is likely to intensify the already heated national debate over Trump’s use of National Guard troops in Washington and other U.S. cities, deployments he has defended as necessary to rein in what he repeatedly describes as “crime-ridden” urban centers. His broader political strategy has folded these deployments into a forceful immigration-and-public-safety narrative, a theme central to his presidency and reelection messaging.
But the legality of those deployments remains contested. Last week, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the administration’s National Guard deployment—particularly one involving out-of-state troops—was likely unlawful. Although she blocked the deployment, the order was paused for 21 days to avoid immediate operational disruptions, with implementation set for December 11.
The lawsuit, filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, seeks a ruling that the federal government cannot deploy Guard troops to the District without the mayor’s consent. The challenge comes despite data showing violent crime during an earlier one-month National Guard surge in Washington fell by 39 percent, a statistic the White House has repeatedly cited to support its approach.
Security Incidents Mounting Around the White House
Wednesday’s shooting is the latest in a string of security incidents near the White House perimeter. On October 21, a Maryland man was arrested after crashing a car into a security gate at 17th and E Streets NW. No weapons were found, and authorities did not identify a motive. Trump was not at the White House during that incident.
In May 2023, a 19-year-old man drove a rented U-Haul truck into a security barrier and displayed a Nazi flag, telling authorities he intended to harm the President.
As federal and local investigators examine the circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s shooting, the event is already being absorbed into Washington’s broader political fault lines—particularly those involving Trump’s law-and-order platform, immigration stances, and his assertion that a stronger military and federal presence is essential to restoring safety in the nation’s capital.
