An Afghan national has been accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence.

Two West Virginia National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., remain in critical condition after being shot while on patrol just blocks from the White House on Wednesday afternoon.

Two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot a few blocks from the White House, and a suspect identified as an Afghan national is in custody.

Authorities said that the National Guard members injured in the shooting were part of a "high-visibility patrol" near the White House.

A uthorities are set to hold a press conference Thursday morning after two National Guard members from West Virginia remain in critical condition after a gunman opened fire on them in an apparent "targeted shooting" near the White House, officials said.

The brazen daytime shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital by a man described as an Afghan national has raised multiple questions.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Lakanwal “was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States,” repeating a long-cited criticism of many Republicans, who argue the withdrawal—and subsequent evacuation and resettling of the Afghan nationals—in 2021 was rushed.

President Trump said the suspected shooter came to the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2021. The administration plans to send 500 more Guard personnel to the nation's capital in response to the attack.

Staff Sgt. Jacob Hill, with the Alabama National Guard, died while assigned to the Washington, D.C., mission earlier this month.