Two United States National Guard troops from West Virginia have been shot near the White House and are in critical condition, several officials have said.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters that the incident on Wednesday was a “targeted shooting” and that the suspect has been arrested.

“I want to send my thoughts and prayers to the families of the guardsmen and to the guardsmen who are in critical condition in a local hospital,” she said.

There were initial confusion about the condition of the troops after West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially wrote on social media that both service members had died. But he later retracted that statement, saying that he has received “conflicting reports” about the situation.

In an earlier post, he pledged to pursue accountability against the shooter. “These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country,” he wrote. “West Virginia will never forget their service or their sacrifice, and we will demand full accountability for this horrific act.”

On his online platform Truth Social, US President Donald Trump pledged the perpetrator would pay a “very steep price”.

“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 in his post.

“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”

‘Matter of national security’

Trump was not at the White House at the time of the shooting. He had left for Florida to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

The motives behind the shooting remain unclear. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had said that her office is working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate.

“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington DC,” Noem said.

Jeffery Carroll, the deputy chief at the Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect was also hospitalised.

“We have reviewed video from the area. It appears to be a lone gunman that raised the firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard, and he was quickly taken into custody,” Carroll told reporters.

The police initially told people to avoid the area of the shooting, but subsequently said the scene was “secured”.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting in the US capital “is a matter of national security”.

“We have assembled the full force of both the federal and state and local law enforcement agencies to bring all of our resources to make sure we find the perpetrators responsible for this heinous act,” Patel said.

The shooting comes as the US continues to reel from political violence after the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk in September and the killing of Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman in June.

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan noted a heavy security presence at the scene of the shooting.

“What we’re seeing are lots of DC police, lots of Secret Service, uniformed agents, members of the National Guard, who are all surrounding a perimeter around what’s called the Farragut West metro station,” Jordan said.

The National Guard is a state-based force that is part of the US military. Governors can deploy them in their states to respond to local emergencies, mostly natural disasters.

National Guard deployment

Trump deployed federal troops, including National Guard soldiers, to Washington in August as part of a campaign that aims to combat crime in the nation’s capital.

Since their deployment, the National Guard troops have been patrolling neighbourhoods and transport hubs, usually in clusters of three to five soldiers.

Last week, a federal judge, Jia Cobb, ruled to suspend the National Guard deployment in the capital, on the basis that Trump had exceeded the authority of the executive branch.

Critics had accused the president of using military members for domestic law enforcement, in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.

Cobb’s order suspending the National Guard deployment, however, has been paused for 21 days, to give the Trump administration time to appeal.

Trump, a Republican, has also tried to expand the deployment of federal forces to other Democratic-run cities, sparking legal challenges and political opposition.

On Wednesday, lawmakers from both major parties condemned the shooting in Washington, DC.

“Praying for the National Guard members wounded in this horrific shooting,” Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on the social media platform X.

“Thankful for the brave law enforcement officers and first responders who swiftly apprehended a suspect. There is no place for violence in America.”