A National Guardsman suffered a non-lethal gunshot injury while attempting to break up a fight in Washington, D.C., not long before midnight on Sunday.
About seven or eight military personnel were attempting to break up the late-night fight at Capitol Hill, but only one of them received a serious injury. A criminal shot the guardsman instead of dropping his gun as ordered.
🚨 BREAKING: A National Guard member was shot near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last night. Per authorities, seven or eight guardsmen were in a van when they heard what sounded like a fight and moved in to help. A suspect refused to drop his gun and opened fire. The guardsmen fired back. One Guard member was hit, and so was the suspect. Both were taken to a local hospital. These men and women ran toward danger to protect people they'd never met, and one of them took a bullet for it. Pray for this guardsman's recovery. Anyone who still says D.C. doesn't need the Guard should look at what happened last night.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 19, 2026
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Jeffrey Carroll, the D.C. Metropolitan Police interim police chief, confirmed the details about the non-deadly shooting for members of the press. “The National Guard members told the individual to drop the firearm. He discharged a round at the National Guard members who returned fire at that suspect,” Carroll confirmed.
Less than a year ago, an Afghan terrorist shot two National Guardsmen in our nation’s capital. Rahmanullah Lakanwal killed Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured Andrew Wolfe just before Thanksgiving 2025. Thankfully, Carroll’s comments indicate that the Guardsman injured in this latest shooting received a wound to the leg and will recover from it, as the New York Post reported.
Less fortunately, the shooter is also probably going to recover. After he fired upon the Guardsman, the latter returned fire and injured the criminal in the abdomen. In D.C., where all the local officials are radical Democrats who love crime, the shooter is not likely to receive the justice he deserves. You never know when soft-on-crime Democrats are going to release murderous criminals back onto the streets.
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From NBC4 Washington:
Seven to eight National Guard members were parked in the 400 block of 8th Street SE, near Eastern Market, when they saw a fight break out at about 11 p.m. and tried to intervene, D.C. police said… Three members of the National Guard fired their weapons, police said.
News4 video shows shattered glass and a bullet hole in a business.
The Trump administration has been working to bring down and keep down violent crime in D.C. with the National Guard, given the corruption in the city government and leaders of the police force.
Since President Trump initiated his crime crackdown in D.C.: - Carjackings are down 75% - Robberies are down 57% - Violent crime is down 39% - Nearly 950 criminal illegal aliens have been detained, including 20 gang members https://t.co/RboqwC5a2d
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 18, 2025
When Trump initially deployed a significant number of Guardsmen last year, crime immediately dropped. But Guardsmen are now always at risk as they enforce order.