Two National Guard troops were shot near the White House, and the suspected shooter has been taken into custody

Two US National Guard soldiers were critically injured Wednesday in what authorities described as a targeted shooting near the White House — an extraordinary security incident that has intensified debate over President Donald Trump’s nationwide anti-crime campaign.

Multiple US media outlets reported that the suspected gunman was an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021, though officials had not yet publicly confirmed the suspect’s identity.

If verified, the incident would bring together several politically fraught issues — Trump’s domestic deployment of military forces, immigration policy, and the lingering fallout from the US war in Afghanistan.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the attack was carried out by a lone shooter.

“That individual has been taken into custody,” she confirmed.

CBS News reported that the suspect is a 29-year-old who used a handgun, while NBC News said the case was being probed as a potential act of terrorism.

Both wounded soldiers — deployed as part of Trump’s militarized anti-crime initiative — were in “critical condition,” according to FBI Director Kash Patel.

Earlier, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey erroneously announced that the two soldiers from his state had died.

This marks the most serious attack on National Guard troops since Trump began sending them to Democratic-led cities earlier this year, following the start of his second term.

Speaking from his Florida golf club, Trump referred to the shooter as an “animal.”

The suspect “is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” he posted on Truth Social.

‘Ambushed’

The attack occurred at the Farragut West metro station, just two blocks from the White House, at a busy mid-afternoon hour.

Washington police assistant chief Jeffery Carroll said the gunman “ambushed” the soldiers, raising his firearm and opening fire as he approached.

He was swiftly subdued by other National Guard members and police officers.

An AFP reporter nearby heard several gunshots and saw crowds fleeing in panic.

Angela Perry, 42, who was driving with her two children, said: “We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots. You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn.”

Security forces quickly sealed off the area. Armed officers secured the perimeter as a helicopter hovered above.

An AFP reporter saw emergency responders rush into the station with a stretcher and soon emerge with an injured soldier in camouflage, who was taken away in an ambulance.

— Troops controversy —

Although Washington’s federal buildings are tightly protected, the city continues to struggle with persistent street violence.

Trump has made the capital a centerpiece of his policy of deploying National Guard units — often in camouflage and sometimes armed — to cities governed by Democrats, including Los Angeles and Memphis.

In response to Wednesday’s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced an additional deployment of 500 troops to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500.

The policy has drawn fierce objections from local leaders who accuse Trump of inflaming tensions. Several legal challenges are also underway.

Just last Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Trump’s large-scale deployment of National Guard troops in Washington was unlawful.

Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe told CNN the troops are not trained for typical police duties.

“That adds a real wild-card element. We don’t really know how those folks would respond if confronted with a violent incident on the street involving an armed person,” he said.