USA US authorities: National Guardsmen in "critical condition"
The two US National Guardsmen shot in Washington are not dead, according to new reports from the authorities. They are in "critical condition", FBI chief Kash Patel and Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference.
26.11.2025, 23:35
SDA
The governor of the state of West Virginia had previously announced that the two had died.
Governor Patrick Morrisey later wrote in another post on X that there were conflicting reports about the victims' condition. He gave no further details. The US governor from West Virginia had spoken out because, according to him, the National Guardsmen were from the US state.
Mayor: Targeted attack
In the afternoon, shots were fired near the White House in the center of the US capital. Mayor Bowser spoke of a targeted attack.
A representative of the Washington police explained that the perpetrator had come around a corner and immediately opened fire on the two National Guardsmen. Other members of the National Guard heard the shots, intervened and overpowered the suspect after he fell to the ground. The police arrived a few moments later.
More than 2,000 National Guardsmen in Washington
The National Guards are military reserve units and part of the US armed forces. They are normally under the control of the federal states and are deployed in the event of natural disasters, unrest or other emergencies. In certain situations, however, the US President can also assume command. There are special rules for Washington.
Since the summer, more than 2,000 National Guardsmen have been on the move in Washington. US President Donald Trump ordered them to the capital in August and justified their mobilization with allegedly rampant crime. This is highly controversial. Crime statistics do not support this narrative.
Deployment challenged in court
The capital took legal action against the deployment. A federal judge recently declared the deployment of the National Guard to be unlawful and ordered it to be ended. However, she suspended her decision for three weeks to allow the Trump administration to appeal. The order will therefore remain in force until December 11.
