WASHINGTON — Two National Guard members are in critical condition after they were shot in what officials described as a “targeted” ambush near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
The victims, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were “ambushed” by a lone gunman outside a subway station in the heart of the nation’s capital, Jeffery Caroll, executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the attack a “targeted shooting.”
The guardsmen were part of a “high-visibility patrol” at around 2:15 p.m. ET near the corner of 17th and I streets, about two blocks from the White House, when the shooting occurred, officials said. The suspect, who was in custody, was also shot and subdued by other guardsmen nearby.
The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, but officials said the suspect appeared to have acted alone. The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been made public. The New York Times and CBS, citing anonymous officials, reported that the suspect is a 29-year-old man from Afghanistan.
USA TODAY has reached out to the FBI for confirmation.
