Two members of the National Guard were shot near the White House

This Wednesday afternoon, two members of the United States National Guard were shot at in an area near the White House in Washington, D.C.

Police sources confirmed that the attack occurred in the vicinity of the Farragut West subway station, a busy area located just a few blocks from the presidential building.

According to initial reports, the two affected guards are in critical condition due to their injuries, and authorities from various federal and local agencies arrived at the scene.

The Metropolitan Police Department reported that a suspect was taken into custody, also in "critical condition," and that the scene is now secured, while numerous police officers and the FBI were deployed to support the initial response.

According to a city police officer, during the afternoon an incident involving an active shooter was reported at the entrance to Farragut West. Following that alert, emergency protocols were activated and police and federal reinforcements were deployed to contain the situation and evacuate the area.

The White House was quickly informed of the incident. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump was notified and that the presidential team continues to monitor the development of events.

Soon afterward, an administration official indicated that the presidential building entered a state of preventive lockdown. Trump, however, was not in the capital at the time of the attack, but in Florida, where he is spending Thanksgiving Day at his Mar-a-Lago club.

The presence of the National Guard in Washington is part of the federal deployment ordered by Trump in August, as part of the administrative takeover of the city to end insecurity and violent crime. According to the latest available figures, about 2,188 troops remain stationed in the capital.

Amid uncertainty over the health of the two wounded guards, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem expressed her concern and urged support for those affected.

“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were shot moments ago in Washington, D.C. [The Department of Homeland Security] is working with local law enforcement to gather more information”, she said in a statement.

"The animal who shot the two National Guardsmen, both seriously wounded and now in separate hospitals, is also seriously wounded, but, despite everything, will pay a very high price", President Trump also wrote on his social media.

"May God bless our Great National Guard and all our Armed Forces and Law Enforcement. They are truly extraordinary people. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, stand with you!", he added.

Although the suspect is already in custody, agencies are still investigating the circumstances of the attack and no further details have been provided at this time.