October 22, 2026
National Guard Soldier Shot While Breaking Up Fight in Washington, D.C.
Headline card by The Night Desk
National Guard Soldier Shot While Breaking Up Fight in Washington, D.C.
A National Guard soldier was hospitalized after being shot while breaking up a fight in Washington, D.C., late Sunday night — the latest violent encounter for troops deployed to the capital.
Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll told the Associated Press the shooting happened at around 11:10 p.m. Sunday, when seven or eight Guard members were monitoring a fight on a sidewalk in the southeast portion of the district.
"They exited their vehicle to try to intervene to try to stop the fight from occurring when they heard gunshots," Carroll said. "An individual that had been involved in the fight had pulled out a firearm and began shooting."
Told to drop the gun
Carroll said the incident escalated when Guard members told a person to drop the gun as he ran into an alley.
"The individual then pointed the weapon toward National Guard members, who returned fire," Carroll said. The Guard member was struck in the leg; the suspected shooter was shot in the abdomen. Both were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities arrested the suspect. As of the AP's reporting, the suspect had not been publicly named.
A deployment under fire — literally and politically
The incident came more than a year after the National Guard was deployed to Washington in August 2025 amid controversy over the use of troops in domestic law enforcement. At the deployment's peak, some 5,000 troops were in the city.
Guard members in D.C. have faced similar attacks before: in November 2025, two Guardsmen were shot near the White House — one died and the other was critically wounded. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, was charged with over a dozen federal counts in that attack and has pleaded not guilty.
This story is developing. The Night Desk will update as authorities release the suspect's identity and any charges.
Source: Associated Press reporting (via Military.com, published Oct. 19, 2026)
Source: Associated Press (via Military.com) — read the original report
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