Two National Guard members died in a shooting near the White House's perimeter in Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon. The White House was placed on lockdown, and the city has been placed under a massive security cover. Amid that, concerns surfaced for President Trump and if his security was in anyway compromised.
However, President Donald Trump is not in DC today, i.e. Wednesday. He is at Mar-a-Lago, his residence-cum-resort in Palm Beach Florida.
The President, however, reacted to the shooting, confirming that the two National Guardsmen were critically injured in the shooting, while the suspect, now in custody, was also injured while being apprehended.
"The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
As of now, the suspect has not been identified.
Donald Trump's Wednesday Schedule
President Donald Trump's schedule for Wednesday will see him spend most of the morning and afternoon in Mar-a-Lago. He is slated to return to DC in the afternoon. Trump's schedule for Wednesday states that he and First Lady Melania Trump will arrive at the White House at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday.
As of now, a change in the President's schedule has not been announced.
{{/usCountry}}As of now, a change in the President's schedule has not been announced.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: White House shooting update: Latest on Reagan National Airport flight status; new info emerges
DC Shooting: What We Know So Far
National Guard Joint Task Force said in a statement that the shooting involved the National Guardsmen. The statement said that guardsmen "were involved in a shooting near the Farragut West Metro Station," adding that the task force “is working closely with Metro PD and partner law enforcement agencies.”
The Governor of West Virginia confirmed that both the guardsmen, who were from the West Virginia, have passed away.
"It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, DC have passed away from their injuries," the statement read.