Shooter identified

Two soldiers shot dead at the White House

Dozens of emergency services were immediately on the scene.(Bild: AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Two members of the US National Guard have been shot at in Washington. One suspect - from Afghanistan according to the FBI - has been arrested. The crime scene near the White House was cordoned off over a wide area. There was no danger for US President Donald Trump, but he wants to call 500 more National Guardsmen to the US capital.

There was confusion from the outset about the state of health of the two soldiers who were "specifically targeted": while there were initially media reports of two men being shot, the US President announced that the soldiers had been "seriously wounded" before the Governor of West Virginia, Patrick Morrisey, declared that both had died in the attack. 

A short time later, Morrisey explained that there was "conflicting information" about the condition of the victims, who were part of the West Virginia state contingent. In a hastily called press conference, investigators spoke of a "targeted attack" and stated that the men's deaths could not be confirmed.

FBI: Suspect in the USA since 2021
At this stage, it is assumed that the attack was carried out by a single perpetrator. According to reports, the arrested man is not in mortal danger. According to initial information cited by CNN and the AP from the FBI, the perpetrator is said to be an Afghan who arrived in the USA in 2021. He has been identified from fingerprints, but the results of further checks are still pending. There was also no further information on the background to the murder.

Television images showed countless emergency services on the scene. The incident apparently took place a few blocks away from the White House. According to several witness reports, one of the men was hit in the head.

Trump calls attacker an "animal"
"The animal" responsible for the attack also suffered serious injuries, Trump said in an initial reaction on his Truth Social platform. Trump was no longer in the US capital during the incident. He had already left for his home state of Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Wants another 500 National Guardsmen for Washington
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Trump had instructed him to request 500 additional soldiers because of the attack. The former Fox News host spoke on the steps of the Pentagon and called the shooting "cowardly" and "heinous" and said it would "only strengthen our resolve to make Washington D.C. safe and beautiful."

Numerous investigators are securing the scene.(Bild: EPA/WILL OLIVER)

Trump had ordered the deployment of National Guardsmen to the Capital District against the wishes of the local administration. He justified this with a crime problem in the capital, which had caused incomprehension among many residents. Around 2200 soldiers are currently stationed in Washington.

White House was sealed off
The White House was initially placed under an alert level called "Condition Red", which signals a potential threat to life, reports the New York Times. This level has since been downgraded to "Orange", which means "high risk" but not necessarily a threat to life.