DC shooting: Two National Guard members shot near White House—live updates

Two US National Guard members were shot and killed in a downtown area near the White House on Wednesday, prompting an outpouring of grief from lawmakers and citizens alike. The tragedy occurred while over 2,000 National Guardsmen from various states, including West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, and Georgia, have been stationed across Washington D.C. as part of a federal crackdown on crime.

Prior to this incident, the deployment had raised concerns among local residents and civil liberties advocates, who argued that the move was unlawful. In fact, just last week, a US District Judge in Alabama temporarily blocked the administration's plans to continue the deployment, citing concerns over the city's ability to enforce its own laws without federal intervention.

The shooting has highlighted the complexities of the National Guard's role in maintaining public order and the ongoing debate over the limits of federal authority. The deployment had initially been put in place under former President Trump's directive as part of a broader crime crackdown, but its future remains uncertain following last week's court ruling.

As news of the tragedy continues to unfold, lawmakers are holding emergency meetings to address the situation and consider potential reforms to ensure that National Guardsmen serving in Washington D.C. receive adequate support and protection.

this is so sad ...i think its really scary for the ppl living in dc right now...having thousands of guardsmen around can feel like a heavy police state i personally think its not right that they're being told to enforce laws without their own states giving consent it's like, whats next? more troops arriving and whats gonna happen when they leave??

anyway...i just wanna say our thoughts are with the families of those 2 guys who got shot it's such a shame

THIS IS TRULY TERRIFYING I MEAN WHO GETS SHOT AND KILLED WHILE TRYING TO HELP KEEP THE CITY SAFE?! IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT THAT THESE GUYS ARE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR US AND STILL WE'RE QUESTIONING IF THEY NEED PROPER SUPPORT AND PROTECTION IT'S TIME WE GET SERIOUS ABOUT SAFETY OVER POLITICS

So I'm reading this about these two US National Guard members getting shot near the White House and it's just wild. Like, can we talk for a sec? First off, I don't get why they're deploying all these guardsmen across D.C. in the first place. I mean, isn't that kinda like taking away law enforcement powers from the local government? It just seems so... overreach.

And then to have some judge in Alabama come along and block the plan, but now it's like "oh wait, we'll just redeploy them somewhere else"? Give me a break! The fact that they were deployed in the first place is already a concern, and now we're just sweeping problems under the rug. It's like, can't we have an honest conversation about how to keep our cities safe without messing with local autonomy?

Anyway, it's always gonna be a tricky situation when you gotta balance keeping people safe with not taking away their rights. But seriously, this is like, what are we even doing here?

just thinkin' about this is really sad... two innocent lives lost over a federal crackdown on crime it's crazy how one life can change everything and make us all wonder if we're doin' things right as a society the whole thing with the National Guard deployment in D.C. just feels like another example of how our politics can sometimes put people at risk instead of workin' together to solve problems, it's easy to get caught up in partisanship and forget that we're all human beings

Just saw this crazy news about those two US National Guard members getting shot near the White House... what's going on with these deployments? First, it's a temporary block from a judge in Alabama, now there are even more casualties... is this really how we're supposed to keep our cities safe? It just feels like they're piling more guns on people who are already vulnerable. And what about all the other states that sent their Guardsmen? Are they just cannon fodder or what? Can't we find a better way to address crime without putting so many lives at risk?

man this is so sad what's going on with those national guardsmen? they're just doing their job but still get shot like that... it's crazy how some ppl are saying the deployment was unlawful, i get why they'd be concerned about fed intervention in local affairs tho . the courts gotta weigh in and make a decision tho, can't have people dying over this kinda thing . i hope lawmakers can come together to figure out what went wrong and make some changes to prevent something like this from happening again . it's just really sad for the families of those guardsmen

what's up with these deployments? like 2k guardsmen just wandering around the city, no plan or training... sounds like a recipe for disaster . I mean, even before this shooting, people were saying it was a bad idea, but did anyone listen? And now we got innocent soldiers dead . What's the point of having National Guardsmen if they're just gonna be used as cannon fodder? Need to know more about what led up to this deployment and how it's being handled . Where are the sources on this judge's ruling in Alabama, btw? Want to see some actual evidence before I accept that it was lawful .

I'm really worried about these new deployments of National Guard troops across DC. It's just too convenient for the administration to swoop in and start enforcing laws without actually solving the problems they claim they're addressing. And what's with all this emphasis on 'crime crackdown'? What does that even mean? Are we talking about stricter gun laws, or more surveillance cameras, or what? I'm also getting a bit concerned about the security measures being put in place - is it just a bunch of empty rhetoric or are they actually trying to address some real concerns? And who's really calling the shots here anyway? The last thing we need is another example of 'security' being used as an excuse to erode civil liberties...

just got word from a friend who works for the Pentagon ... apparently it was just one bad day on the streets of DC, but now everyone's talking about the whole deployment thing... i mean, can't blame them for being worried, these guardsmen are just doing their job, you know?

anyway, this shooting's gotta make us all think about the role of the military in our cities... it's like, we need 'em to keep the peace and all, but do we really want the National Guard running around with a lot of power? that judge in Alabama was right to step in, imo.

i heard the president might be proposing some changes to the deployment plan, maybe making sure these guardsmen get more support and training... fingers crossed . it's just gonna take some time and effort to figure out how this all works, but i'm rootin' for our guys over there

Ugh, my heart is literally breaking ... just thinking about those 2 guys getting shot by a gunman near the White House is giving me chills . I mean, can't believe this is happening right now, amidst all the controversy surrounding the National Guard deployment . It's like, what's going on?! Are we really seeing more and more of these kinds of incidents? The fact that local residents and civil liberties advocates were warning about this from the start... I mean, it's not just a coincidence, right?

And can you even imagine how those 2 guys' families are doing rn ? Their lives literally cut short like that. It's heartbreaking . And now, lawmakers are trying to figure out what went wrong and how to make sure this doesn't happen again . I'm all for making some changes and reforms, but can we please just take a step back and think about the humans involved in all of this?

this is so sad - two US National Guard members were shot and killed near the White House... it's crazy how these incidents happen, especially with so many guardsmen stationed in DC right now I'm thinking about all those families who are going through this tough time, and it's just heartbreaking . And to think that some people raised concerns about the deployment being unlawful before this happened, yeah it's clear that there were red flags . It's not just about the guardsmen getting shot though, it's also about how we as a society and government respond to these situations and make sure everyone gets protected

this is just so senseless... i'm seeing all these ppl talking about how the national guard's deployment was a good idea but like who gets shot and killed? it's not even about whether the laws are being enforced or not, it's about ppl's lives! we need to focus on making sure our soldiers are safe, not just in washington dc but everywhere. this tragedy is a wake-up call for us all to think about what's really important - human life over politics

man I'm so worried about what's going on with the National Guard deployment it's like they're getting caught in this web of controversy and I don't know how much more stress they can handle these 2k guys are just trying to do their job but now they're in the middle of this huge debate over federal authority and local control what if they can't get the support they need? it's like, we gotta think about the people on the ground, you know? not just the politicians making the decisions from up high

omg what's going on with these national guard deployments they keep popping up in random cities and people are getting shot or dying it's like, i get that crime needs to be addressed but come on can't we find a better way than sending 2000 guardsmen into one city?! and the fact that there was even a court ruling against this thing is wild how do you even enforce laws without federal intervention? i guess they're trying to send a message but it just seems so... heavy-handed anyway, my heart goes out to those families of the two guardsmen who lost their lives can we get some answers on what's going on here?!

.. this is a super sad day for America . I mean, two lives lost already, and it's only been like 2 days since the deployment started? It just goes to show how volatile things can get when you bring in big numbers of National Guardsmen into a city without really thinking through the logistics.

And yeah, I can see why local residents are getting worried. I mean, what if something does go wrong and those Guardsmen end up being the ones who have to deal with it? It's not exactly a recipe for success when you've got thousands of troops crammed into one area without proper planning or support.

I'm not saying that crime needs to be dealt with, but can't we just find ways to address it that don't involve putting our brothers and sisters in harm's way?

omg this is so messed up!!! i cant believe what just happened 2000 soldiers deployed for a crime crackdown but still gets shot down literally btw its not like they were even supposed to be there in the first place lol what was trump thinking sending them there in the first place? now their lives are lost and what do we have to show for it? lawmakers should be all over this like white on rice making sure these soldiers get the support they need ASAP

just saw this news and my heart is heavy ... can't believe 2 US soldier lost their lives like that... been following this story and it's really scary how the federal government is taking away local control... i mean, we need to make sure our laws are enforced by our own people not some external force... and now with all these guardsmen stationed here in D.C. it just feels like they're trying to take away our freedoms ... something needs to be done ASAP

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this... a massive deployment of National Guardsmen just for crime control? Like what's next, private security firms patrolling our streets And now, two guardsmen get shot in the line of duty. This raises so many questions - are they really making our cities safer or just piling more cops on top of each other? And what about all those local residents who are worried about their own communities being taken over by the feds? It's like we're living in a sci-fi movie