(Washington) Two National Guard soldiers were hit by gunfire in Washington on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced, in what the White House described as a “tragic situation.”
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A suspect has been arrested, police in the US capital said on X, while helicopters hovered over the area.
AFP journalists saw, two blocks from the White House, a person dressed in a military uniform being evacuated on a stretcher.
“Please pray with me for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington DC,” Kristi Noem said on X.
Three people who were victims of gunshots were treated by emergency services, the city’s emergency services told AFP.
PHOTO NATHAN HOWARD, REUTERS
“The White House is informed and is following this tragic situation, the president is kept informed,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told the press.
“We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the red light and there were several shots,” Angela Perry, a 42-year-old security guard, told AFP in the car with her two children.
Sealed perimeter
“You could see members of the National Guard running towards the metro, weapons in hand,” she added.
The area was cordoned off and dozens of police vehicles and other local and national security forces were dispatched to the scene.
National Guard soldiers have been deployed, at the request of President Donald Trump, since August in the American capital. There were 2,175 soldiers deployed in mid-November, according to recent military statistics.
The municipality accuses the federal executive of exceeding its powers.
Since June, the Republican president has sent the National Guard successively to Los Angeles (west), Washington and Memphis (south), each time against the advice of local Democratic authorities, saying these reinforcements are necessary to fight crime and support the federal immigration police (ICE).
