In a shocking security breach, two members of the National Guard were shot and killed on Wednesday near the White House complex in Washington DC. The incident triggered an immediate and massive lockdown of the area and a full-scale response from multiple law enforcement agencies.
Lockdown and Law Enforcement Response
The shooting occurred on November 27, 2025, around 2:15 p.m. ET near Farragut Square, a park and popular lunch spot just a few blocks from the White House. At the time of the attack, President Donald Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, and Vice President JD Vance was in Kentucky.
The incident prompted an immediate and massive lockdown of the White House. A full range of Washington security agencies, including the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police, and the Metro Transit Police, swiftly descended upon the scene to secure the area.
Victims and Suspect Details
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey confirmed in a post on social media platform X that both victims were members of his state's National Guard and had succumbed to their injuries. The White House officially reposted his statement.
Washington police confirmed that one suspect was taken into custody and the area was secured. In a social media post, former President Trump referred to the suspected shooter as an "animal" and mentioned that the individual was "severely wounded."
It remains unclear how the suspect was injured, though CNN reported that the two National Guard members engaged the attacker in a gunfire exchange before they were tragically shot.
Eyewitness Account and Broader Context
An eyewitness, Stacey Walters, 43, described the chaotic scene. She was in an Uber near the White House when she heard two loud booms and saw young children and pedestrians running for safety. She reported hearing someone yell "Help! Help!" and observed what appeared to be Secret Service agents chasing an individual in a hooded sweatshirt.
This tragic event casts a shadow over the ongoing deployment of National Guard troops in the capital. Approximately 2,200 National Guard soldiers were in Washington DC at the time, a deployment initiated by Trump in August as part of his crackdown on immigration and crime in cities led by Democratic administrations. The troops hailed from Washington DC itself, as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama.
President Trump, a Republican, has frequently claimed that this deployment has eliminated crime from the capital, a statement heavily criticized by Democrats. This incident raises serious questions about those assertions and the overall security posture in the nation's capital.
