2025 Washington, D.C., National Guard shooting: Difference between revisions

By /

 

Line 41: Line 41:

| notes =

| notes =

}}

}}

On November 26, 2025, two members of the [[West Virginia National Guard]] participating in the [[Declaring a Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia|deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard]] were shot near the [[Farragut West station]] in the [[Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|Northwest]] quadrant in [[Washington, D.C.]], United States, two blocks away from the [[White House]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Governor: Two West Virginia National Guard members killed in Washington, D.C.|url=https://wchstv.com/news/local/governor-west-virginia-national-guard-members-shot-in-washington-dc-one-dead|access-date=2025-11-26 |website=[[WCHS-TV]] |language=en}}</ref> A male suspect was also critically wounded.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-11-26 |title=D.C. Shooting Live Updates: Two National Guard Members Shot Near White House |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/26/us/national-guard-shooting-dc |access-date=2025-11-26 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2 National Guardsmen shot near White House: Officials |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2-military-personnel-appearing-national-guard-shot-white/story?id=127905871 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> The suspect is an Afghan national who was trained and supported by the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] as a paramilitary.<ref name=”NYT-2″ /> In response, Trump announced an additional crackdown on the city, requesting 500 more National Guard troops to be deployed.<ref name=RomineCNN />

On November 26, 2025, two members of the [[West Virginia National Guard]] participating in the [[Declaring a Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia|deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard]] were shot near the [[Farragut West station]] in the [[Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|Northwest]] quadrant in [[Washington, D.C.]], United States, two blocks away from the [[White House]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Governor: Two West Virginia National Guard members killed in Washington, D.C.|url=https://wchstv.com/news/local/governor-west-virginia-national-guard-members-shot-in-washington-dc-one-dead|access-date=2025-11-26 |website=[[WCHS-TV]] |language=en}}</ref> A male suspect was also critically wounded.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-11-26 |title=D.C. Shooting Live Updates: Two National Guard Members Shot Near White House |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/26/us/national-guard-shooting-dc |access-date=2025-11-26 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2 National Guardsmen shot near White House: Officials |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2-military-personnel-appearing-national-guard-shot-white/story?id=127905871 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> The suspect is an Afghan national who was trained and supported by the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] as a paramilitary.<ref name=”NYT-2″ />

Trump announced an additional crackdown on the city, requesting 500 more National Guard troops to be deployed.<ref name=RomineCNN />

==Background==

==Background==

Shooting attack in Washington, D.C.

On November 26, 2025, two members of the West Virginia National Guard participating in the deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard were shot near the Farragut West station in the Northwest quadrant in Washington, D.C., United States, two blocks away from the White House.[3] A male suspect was also critically wounded.[4][5] The suspect is an Afghan national who was trained and supported by the Central Intelligence Agency as a paramilitary.[6]

Afterward, President Trump announced an additional crackdown on the city, requesting 500 more National Guard troops to be deployed.[7]

Background

National Guardsmen stationed outside Farragut North station, November 15, 2025. The shooting occurred across Farragut Square from this entrance.

Before the shooting, the deployment of National Guard troops, including the contingent from West Virginia National Guard, to Washington, D.C., was part of a broader domestic-military mobilization ordered in August 2025 by President Donald Trump. The troops were stationed near Farragut Square, approximately two blocks northwest of the White House, as part of patrols in downtown Washington.[8][9]

Shooting

The shooting occurred on November 26, 2025 near the Farragut West station in Washington, D.C., two blocks northwest of the White House.[10] The suspect approached the guardsmen, firing at one who was several feet away before firing at the other, who tried to get behind a bus stop shelter.[11] One of the national guardsmen then engaged the shooter with gunfire.[10] Both guardsmen were shot in the head.[12] Law enforcement officials described it as an ambush-style attack and said 10 to 15 shots were fired.[13] The shooter used a .357 magnum Smith & Wesson revolver.[2]

West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey initially announced that two National Guard members had been killed in a shooting near the White House. Soon afterward, he backtracked, saying reports about their condition were conflicting. The two soldiers were part of a deployment ordered by President Donald Trump in August.[14]

Suspect

A male suspect was taken into custody, and the suspect was reported to be seriously injured, though not life-threatening, after being shot[15][10] four times.[13] The suspect is not cooperating with investigators.[11] The detained suspect was identified as a 29-year-old, an Afghan national from Khost Province[6] who is alleged to have used a handgun in the attack. He entered the United States in September 2021[16] and was last reported living in Bellingham, Washington,[17] having overstayed his visa under Operation Allies Welcome.[16] The suspect had applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted it in April 2025.[18][19]

In Afghanistan, the suspect worked for a Central Intelligence Agency-backed “Zero Unit” of the Afghan National Directorate of Security in the Kandahar province.[6]

Victims

The two West Virginia National Guard members were identified as 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. On November 27, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi reported that both soldiers had “come through surgery.”[20]

Reactions

On Truth Social, President Donald Trump – who was vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach County, Florida, at the time[21] – posted: “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. 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!”[22] Hours after the shooting, Trump requested 500 additional National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, D.C.[7][23] Vice-President JD Vance asked for prayers for the national guardsmen who were shot.[24] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will investigate the shooting as an act of possible terrorism.[25]

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, called for prayers after the shooting.[26] Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Majority leader John Thune expressed their sympathies to the West Virginia National Guardsmen.[27] West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey honored the National Guardsmen on social media.[28]

As a result of the attack, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that all immigration applications for Afghan nationals were halted indefinitely, pending a review of security and vetting procedures.[29]

References

  1. ^ Douglas, Leah; Winter, Jana; Stewart, Phil (November 26, 2025). “National Guard soldiers shot in ‘targeted’ attack near White House”. Reuters. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  2. ^ a b “Shooting suspect drove across country to target Guard members: Officials”. ABC News. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  3. ^ “Governor: Two West Virginia National Guard members killed in Washington, D.C.” WCHS-TV. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  4. ^ “D.C. Shooting Live Updates: Two National Guard Members Shot Near White House”. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  5. ^ “2 National Guardsmen shot near White House: Officials”. ABC News. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Barnes, Julian E.; Aleaziz, Hamed; Peltier, Elian; Padshah, Safiullah (November 27, 2025). “The D.C. shooting suspect had worked with C.I.A.-backed units in Afghanistan”. The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  7. ^ a b “Trump requests 500 additional National Guard troops sent to DC, Secretary of Defense says”. CNN. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  8. ^ “D.C. Shooting Live Updates: Two National Guard Members Shot Near White House”. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  9. ^ “Live updates: 2 National Guard members killed in D.C. shooting near White House”. The Washington Post. November 26, 2025. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Richer, Alanna Durkin; español, GARY FIELDS Leer en (November 26, 2025). “Two National Guard members shot just blocks from the White House”. AP News.
  11. ^ a b “Guardsmen appeared to be targeted, suspect not cooperating”. CNN. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  12. ^ “Both guard members were shot in the head, sources say”. NBC News. November 26, 2025.
  13. ^ a b “2 National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C., suspect in custody, officials say”. CBS News. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  14. ^ Bateman, Tom (November 26, 2025). “Two National Guard members in critical condition after shooting near White House”. BBC News. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  15. ^ “Two National Guard Members Shot Near White House”. The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  16. ^ a b “Suspect in D.C. National Guard shooting lived in Washington state”. FOX 13 Seattle. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  17. ^ “Reports: National Guard shooting suspect has WA ties”. The Seattle Times. November 26, 2025. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  18. ^ “D.C. National Guard shooter confirmed to have connection to Washington state”. KOMO. November 27, 2025. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  19. ^ Federico-OMurchu, Sean (November 26, 2025). “Live updates: Washington DC shooting leaves two National Guardsmen shot”. CNN. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  20. ^ “Suspect who shot National Guard soldiers in DC worked with CIA in Afghanistan”. BBC News. November 27, 2025. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  21. ^ FiscalNote, Roll Call. “Roll Call Factba.se – Donald J. Trump’s Public Schedule”. Roll Call Factba.se. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  22. ^ Trump, Donald (November 26, 2025). “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. 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!”. Truth Social. Retrieved November 26, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ Mackey, Robert; Popat, Shrai; Campbell, Lucy; Mao, Frances; Popat, Robert Mackey (now); Shrai; Mao (earlier), Frances (November 26, 2025). “Washington DC shooting: video suggests ‘lone gunman’ shot two national guard members near White House, say Washington DC police – latest updates”. the Guardian.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ USA Today (November 26, 2025). “Vice President JD Vance asks for prayers for DC shooting victims”. USA Today. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  25. ^ “Shooting to be investigated as possible act of terrorism, sources say”. NBC News. November 26, 2025.
  26. ^ “FBI director and US attorney general call for prayers after National Guardsmen shot”.
  27. ^ “Congressional leaders react to shooting”.
  28. ^ “Patrick Morrisey, the governor of West Virginia, said in a statement that the two members of that state’s National Guard who were shot had died”.
  29. ^ Falconer, Rebecca (November 27, 2025). “Trump admin cracks down on Afghan immigrants after National Guard shooting”. Axios. Retrieved November 27, 2025.

Must Read

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top