White House on lockdown after shooting of US National Guard Members in Washington DC

The White House and several government buildings were placed on lockdown on Wednesday after two US National Guard members were shot near the Farragut metro station in Washington DC, heightening security concerns across the capital.

The incident occurred amid a controversial deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, originally ordered by President Donald Trump.

The DC Metropolitan Police advised residents to avoid the area as emergency responders swarmed the scene.

Reports initially suggested that both guardsmen had died. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morsey posted on X that the guardsmen “lost their lives in the service of their country” and called for full accountability.

However, he later clarified that he was receiving “conflicting” information about their condition and promised updated details.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had been briefed and that the administration was actively monitoring the situation, describing it as a “tragic situation.”

The National Guard has been stationed in Washington DC for months as part of Trump’s anti-crime measures, a deployment that has drawn criticism from several state governors who described it as “cruel and purposefully inflammatory.”