Soldiers killed in shooting in Washington

TT

Updated 21.54 | Published 20.54

 

Members of the US National Guard in Washington DC after Wednesday's shooting. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/TT

Two soldiers in the National Guard have died after a shooting near the White House in Washington DC, West Virginia's governor said on social media.

The suspect in the shooting was shot and has been arrested. There is no information about the motive for the shooting.

The text is being updated, below is an earlier version:

Police in the capital launched a major operation at a subway station just a few blocks from the White House.

Two are members of the US National Guard, according to US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. They have been taken to hospital with unclear injuries, according to media reports.

President Donald Trump writes on his Truth Social platform that the soldiers are seriously injured. He himself is in Florida over the Thanksgiving weekend and is being updated on the incident.

He writes that the perpetrator is also seriously injured, but according to NBC News and the AP news agency, his injuries are not life-threatening. The person has been arrested and the active incident is over. No motive is yet known, nor whether the perpetrator had targeted two soldiers.

The White House has been closed as a precaution, a spokesperson said. The airport closest to the city center, Ronald Reagan National Airport, was also closed for security reasons.

In August, Trump called in 800 members of the National Guard to Washington to “clean up” the capital, which has aroused strong emotions.