WASHINGTON — A tense confrontation in the nation’s capital turned violent late Sunday night, leaving a National Guard member and a suspect wounded after an exchange of gunfire in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Southeast Washington.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:10 p.m. when a team of seven or eight National Guard members, stationed in a parked van, observed an altercation unfolding on a nearby sidewalk. According to Jeffery Carroll, the Metropolitan Police Department’s interim chief, the service members exited their vehicle in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
“They exited their vehicle to try to intervene to try to stop the fight from occurring when they heard gunshots,” Carroll told reporters during a briefing on Monday. “An individual that had been involved in the fight had pulled out a firearm and began shooting.”
Following the initial volley, the suspect fled into a nearby alleyway. Guardsmen pursued the individual, repeatedly ordering the suspect to drop the weapon. The confrontation escalated when, according to police, the suspect turned and pointed the firearm at the approaching National Guard personnel. In response, three members of the Guard discharged their service weapons, striking the individual.
The wounded guard member sustained a gunshot injury to the leg, while the suspect was struck in the abdomen. Both were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Authorities confirmed that neither party suffered life-threatening injuries. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was placed under arrest at the scene.
The presence of the National Guard in the District has been a point of significant political contention since August 2025, when President Donald Trump deployed the troops as part of a high-profile crime-fighting initiative. At the height of the deployment, approximately 5,000 troops were tasked with supporting local police, patrolling streets, and conducting neighborhood operations.
The administration has maintained that the deployment has successfully contributed to a reduction in local crime rates. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from local residents, activists, and city officials, who argue that the mission is a misallocation of taxpayer resources and have decried the ongoing militarization of the capital. Critics also note that crime statistics in the city were already trending downward prior to the arrival of the Guard.
The Metropolitan Police Department is currently leading the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Chief Carroll stated that there is no further threat to the public and urged anyone with information or video footage of the incident to contact investigators. The department has not yet released the identities of the involved guardsmen or the suspect as the inquiry continues.
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