National Guard member shot in DC: news

National Guard Member Shot in DC: Incident Details, Investigation, and Latest Updates

A National Guard member was shot late Sunday night, October 18, 2026, while attempting to de-escalate a physical altercation in Southeast Washington, D.C..

According to Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the incident occurred around 11:10 PM in the 400 block of 8th Street SE. A group of seven or eight National Guard troops traveling in a van observed a brawl developing among pedestrians along the sidewalk. When service members exited their vehicle to intervene, an armed individual involved in the fight produced a firearm and opened fire.

Guardsmen ordered the suspect to drop the weapon. The suspect refused and aimed the firearm at the troops, prompting three National Guard members to return fire. During the shootout, one National Guard soldier sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, while the suspect was struck in the abdomen.

Both the injured soldier and the suspect were transported to nearby hospitals for immediate medical treatment. Authorities confirmed that both individuals suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to survive.

The Metropolitan Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division and Internal Affairs Division have opened a formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Police reported no active threat to the local community, though detectives continue seeking statements from additional witnesses who fled the scene when gunfire erupted.