A National Guard member was shot in the leg late Sunday while troops tried to break up a fight in Southeast Washington, D.C., according to interim police chief Jeffery Carroll. A suspect was also wounded, and both are expected to survive. The shooting happened around 11:10 p.m. and drew city police, Guard members and detectives to the area through early Monday.

How did the confrontation unfold?

Seven or eight Guard members were sitting in a van on 8th Street SE, close to Eastern Market, when a fight broke out on the sidewalk, Carroll said. The troops got out to intervene. Police say a person involved in the fight pulled out a firearm and started shooting.

Guard members told the person to put the gun down, according to Carroll. The individual then pointed the weapon at the troops, who fired back. Three Guard members discharged their weapons, police said, though investigators have not determined which one struck the suspect.

What do we know about the injuries and arrests?

Both people who were hit were taken to local hospitals. The Guard member was struck in the leg. The suspect, a male, was hit in the abdomen and has been arrested, police said.

  • One Guard member wounded in the leg
  • One suspect wounded and taken into custody
  • Three Guard members fired their weapons
  • Both injuries described as not life-threatening

The department's Criminal Internal Affairs Division was at the scene and is investigating, police said. News4 video showed broken glass and a bullet hole at a nearby business.

Why is this shooting significant?

It comes more than a year after President Trump sent the National Guard to Washington as part of a crime crackdown. In November 2025, two deployed Guard members were shot near the White House in what officials called an ambush; one died and the other was critically wounded. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, was charged with more than a dozen federal counts, including murder of a person assisting an officer, and has pleaded not guilty.

FAQ

Where did the shooting happen?

On 8th Street SE, in the 400 block, near Eastern Market and the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C.

Did anyone die?

No. Police said the Guard member and the suspect both had injuries that were not life-threatening.