National guards cordoning streets around the White House
The White House has reportedly been placed on lockdown after two US national guard members were shot dead nearby on Wednesday, sparking heightened security concerns.
The incident happened near the Farragut metro station and comes amid a controversial troop deployment to Washington ordered by President Donald Trump.
In an X post, the DC Metropolitan Police said they are at the crime scene and advised people to avoid the area.
The police did not confirm if there were casualties, but law enforcement officials told AP two US national guard members were shot.
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Another law enforcement official told the New York Times only one member of the national guard was gunned down.
The circumstances of the shooting were not immediately clear at the time of this report.
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said, Trump has been briefed.
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“The White House is aware and actively monitoring this tragic situation,” Leavitt said in a statement.
National guard troops have been in Washington DC for months as part of Trump’s anti-crime crackdown in the nation’s capital.
State governors have since criticised the deployment, terming it as “cruel and purposefully inflammatory”.
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