Two West Virginia National Guard members who were shot near the White House on Wednesday are in critical condition, the Washington D.C., Metropolitan Police Department said.

A suspect was arrested and is believed to be an Afghan national, and the FBI is investigating the ambush-style shooting as an act of terrorism, a source told Just the News.

The suspect entered the U.S. with a special visa in 2021 in connection with the end of Afghan war and was living in Washington state. Officials are examining whether he overstayed any visa permissions.

Police said the man is believed to have acted alone. 

“It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Executive Assistant Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Jeffery Carroll told reporters.

West Virginia Republican Gov. Patrick Morrissey previously stated on X that the two guardsmen were killed in the shooting, which took place at approximately 2:15 p.m. Eastern, before walking back the post because of conflicting information.

The shooting occurred near a metro station on the west side of the White House complex. D.C. officials said the incident was a targeted attack. One suspect is in custody at a local hospital after being injured in the shooting.

Carroll said the shooting occurred after the National Guard troops performed “high visibility patrols" in the district.

“[The suspect] raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard,” Carroll said in a news briefing, adding that after "some back and forth” the guardsmen were “able to subdue the individual and bring them into custody.”

The name of the suspect has not been identified so far and no motive has been given.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.