BREAKING: Two National Guardsmen Shot Blocks from White House – Suspect in Custody

Chaos unfolded Wednesday afternoon in the shadow of power when gunfire shattered the calm of downtown Washington, leaving two National Guardsmen and a third victim wounded in a brazen attack just blocks from the White House.

Authorities swiftly locked down the scene, but questions swirl: Was this random violence, or something more sinister amid heightened political tensions?

Metropolitan Police Department officers responded around 2:45 p.m. ET to the intersection of 17th and I streets NW, near Farragut Square Park and the Club Quarters Hotel.

The busy corridor, teeming with holiday shoppers on Thanksgiving Eve, turned into a war zone as shots rang out, striking three individuals.

Two uniformed National Guardsmen, deployed for routine security duties, suffered gunshot wounds; sources described one as critical with a head injury, prompting a medevac by U.S. Park Police's EAGLE-2 helicopter from the National Mall.

The third victim, a civilian, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services treated all three at the scene before transporting them to area hospitals, including George Washington University Hospital.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the Guardsmen's involvement on X, urging prayers for their recovery.

"Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington DC," she wrote.

Police swarmed the area with dozens of vehicles, yellow tape and armed officers in tactical gear cordoning off blocks of 17th Street NW.

Eyewitness videos captured officers rendering aid, including Secret Service agents applying pressure to a Guardsman's head wound.

By 3 p.m., MPD announced the scene secured and one suspect in custody, though a possible second suspect remained at large initially.

No motive emerged immediately, but the timing—days after Democratic lawmakers accused the Trump administration of military overreach—fueled online speculation of political targeting.

The White House, mere blocks away, went into monitoring mode.

No threats to the executive residence were reported.

As of 4 p.m. ET, investigators combed shell casings from the pavement, and the FBI joined the probe.

Victim identities remain withheld pending family notification.

This hits close to home in a city already on edge.

Our thoughts remain with the Guardsmen, their families and every American grappling with this senseless act.

We'll have more as details firm up—stay safe out there.