Investigators seek motive for shooting of US National Guard soldiers near White House

Two National Guard soldiers were shot on Wednesday (November 26) near the White House in what officials described as a targeted ambush, and the suspect was in custody after suffering gunshot wounds during the attack.

President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time of the attack, which prompted the White House to go into lockdown as law enforcement from multiple federal and city agencies swarmed the area.

The West Virginia guard soldiers were part of a "high-visibility patrol" around 2:15 p.m. ET (1915 GMT) near the corner of 17th and I streets, a few blocks from the White House, when the suspect came around a corner and "ambushed" them, Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said at a press briefing.

After an exchange of gunfire, other National Guard troops were able to subdue the shooter, he said. The two wounded soldiers were in critical condition at local hospitals, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

The motive for the attack was not clear, but officials said the shooter appeared to have acted alone. The identities of the suspect and the victims have not been made public.

NBC News and CBS News, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, reported that authorities believe the suspect is an Afghan national. Reuters could not confirm the suspect's nationality.

A Justice Department official told Reuters the shooting was being investigated as an act of terrorism. NBC News also reported that authorities were treating the attack as potential terrorism, citing law enforcement sources.

Trump is at his resort in Palm Beach ahead of Thursday's (November 27) Thanksgiving holiday, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance is in Kentucky.

In a social media post, Trump called the suspected shooter an "animal" who would "pay a very steep price" and praised the National Guard.

-Greg Savoy, Gerardo Gomez/Reuters