.
.

Two National Guard members are in critical condition after they were shot by a lone gunman near the White House in Washington, DC, on Nov. 26, officials said. A suspect is in custody.

The victims, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were "ambushed" outside a subway station in the heart of the nation's capital, Jeffery Caroll, executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters. Mayor Muriel Bowser said it was a "targeted shooting."

2:15 p.m. ET two Guardsmen are shot

Director of FBI Kash Patel stated the shooting, took place at approximately 2:15 p.m. ET at 17th and I Street next to Farragut Square Park, about two blocks from the White House.

Carroll said the suspect came around the corner and opened fire at the National Guardsmen.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released a statement, "Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C.," Noem said, adding that her department is working with local law enforcement to gather more information.

Moments after 2:15 p.m. ET the White House is placed on lockdown

Due to the close proximity of the shooting, the White House, which is less than 1,500 feet away, was placed on lockdown. President Donald Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, for the Thanksgiving holiday. In a social media post, Trump called the suspect an "animal," and the Pentagon announced plans to deploy 500 additional Guard troops to the capital in response to the shooting.

Approximately 2:16 p.m. suspect in custody

Carroll said after a “back-and-forth exchange,” other Guardsmen were able to subdue and detain the shooter. The suspect was shot during the interaction and later taken to a local hospital he said.By 2:58 p.m., the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department reported that the scene had been secured and one suspect was in custody.

The shooting comes as thousands of troops have been deployed for months across Washington, DC, as part of Trump's initiative to address rising crime in the nation’s capital.

This is a developing story.

Contributing: Joey Garrison, Davis Winkie, Rebecca Morin and Zac Anderson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How the DC National Guardsmen shooting unfolded

Reporting by Ramon Padilla and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect