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

The West Virginia National Guard members shot on Nov. 26, 2025, were serving in Washington as part of Operation DC Safe and Beautiful.

This comes after two married members abruptly left the band in August, accusing the band's management of being "dishonest" and "manipulative."

U.S. President Donald Trump speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Cleary is an editor at TIME, based in the London bureau. The shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members deployed to D.

Officials identified two West Virginia Guardsmen shot near the White House, as both remain in critical condition and a lone gunman faces charges.

Members of the U.S. military have the legal right to refuse orders they believe are unlawful, but they risk violating military laws of obedience if the order is in fact lawful, experts in military law say.

"The View" co-host Joy Behar referenced the Nazi Nuremberg trials while discussing a viral video in which six members of Congress encouraged military members to defy "illegal orders."