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President Trump moved swiftly Wednesday to reinforce security in the nation’s capital, ordering an additional 500 National Guard troops into Washington after two Guardsmen were shot just blocks from the White House. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the request during a press briefing, describing the attack as a direct strike on the men and women protecting the city. “We will never back down. We will secure our capital. We will secure our cities,” Hegseth said Wednesday, adding that the president directed him to coordinate with the Army and the Guard to surge fresh forces into D.C. He framed the move as part of Trump’s broader campaign to restore order: “The drop in crime has been historic. The increase in safety and security has been historic.”

Authorities say the two Guardsmen — both members of West Virginia’s National Guard, confirmed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey — were armed and on routine high-visibility patrols when a gunman rounded a corner at 17th and I Street NW around 2:15 p.m. and opened fire. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser described it as a “targeted shooting,” and Metro Police executive assistant chief Jeff Carroll detailed the moment the attacker “raised his arm with a firearm and discharged it at the National Guard members.” The soldiers were rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Law enforcement from MPD, the FBI, ATF, and the Secret Service immediately flooded the scene. One suspect was detained; officials say there is no evidence of additional attackers, but the motive remains unknown.

The president first deployed the Guard to D.C. on Aug. 11 as part of a sweeping law-and-order push to cut crime and clean up the city, a mission launched after former DOGE employee Edward Coristine — known widely as “Big Balls” — was beaten while thwarting a carjacking. Coristine, now at the Social Security Administration, became something of a symbol inside the administration of the city’s lawlessness.

Wednesday’s shooting comes as Trump’s security initiative faces legal headwinds. Although the Guard is conducting patrols, they are not authorized to make arrests under the Posse Comitatus Act, limiting their role to deterrence and support. D.C. officials sued the administration in September, arguing the deployment is unlawful without the mayor’s consent. A federal judge temporarily sided with the city last week, ordering Trump to withdraw the Guard — but had delayed the mandate until Dec. 11 to allow time for an appeal.

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Jason Hopkins

The Trump administration is halting all Afghan immigration after an Afghan man paroled into the country attacked two National Guard members Wednesday.

The processing of all immigration requests pertaining to Afghan nationals will be “stopped indefinitely,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) declared Wednesday night. The announcement came just hours after Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national brought into the country by the Biden administration in 2021, allegedly shot two West Virginia National Guardsmen in the head with a revolver at a Washington, D.C., metro station.

“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” USCIS, the agency tasked with managing the country’s legal immigration system, said in a social media statement.

“The protections and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission,” the agency continued.

The shooting occurred at 17th and I Street NW, shortly before 3 p.m. local time. Emergency vehicles were spotted rushing to the scene following the attack, and at least one helicopter landed at the National Mall. Both men are believed to be in critical condition.

Lakanwal was later identified as the alleged shooter. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he is an Afghan national originally paroled into the U.S. by the Biden administration.

“The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a public statement. “These men and women of the National Guard are mothers, fathers, sisters, daughters, children of God, carrying out the same basic public safety and immigration laws enshrined in law for decades.”

“The politicians and media who continue to vilify our men and women in uniform need to take a long hard look in the mirror,” Noem said.

President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department earlier this year to combat crime in the nation’s capital city, days after Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer Edward Coristine, more popularly  known as “Big Balls,” was severely injured when he attempted to prevent a mob from carrying out a carjacking.

Lakanwal reportedly shouted “Allahu akbar!” before opening fire with a revolver. The shooting is being investigated as a targeted attack.