A National Guardsman and a suspect both sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a shooting broke out in Southeast Washington, D.C., late Sunday night.
Around 11 p.m. Sunday, seven or eight members of the National Guard were “monitoring” a situation on the 400 block of 8th Street SE when a shooting broke out, Jeff Carroll, interim chief of police of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, said during a press conference following the incident.
The guardsmen were sitting in a van when they observed a fight break out near the sidewalk and exited their vehicle to intervene. Then, an individual involved in the fight pulled out a firearm and began shooting.
When members of the National Guard instructed the individual to put down the gun, the suspect turned toward the guardsmen and began discharging, Carrol said.
The guard members returned fire. In the shootout, both the suspect, who was placed under arrest, and a guardsman were struck and transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The guardsman was shot in the leg, and the suspect was struck in the abdomen. Both are expected to survive the non-life-threatening injuries, Carrol said.
The incident occurred a mile from the Capitol building near the Eastern Market Metro Station in front of Cafe 8, a hookah bar and restaurant.
Councilmember Charles Allen, D-Ward 6, who represents the area where the shooting took place, said that the city has seen “repeated issues” outside of Cafe 8 involving gunshots, prompting him to urge an emergency closure until “this business changes how they operate.”
The MPD Internal Affairs Division and Criminal Investigations Division are investigating the incident, and there is no further threat to the community.
Sunday’s shooting comes one year after two members of the West Virginia National Guard, who both later received Purple Hearts, were shot blocks from the White House in front of the Farragut West Metro Station. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries a day after the shooting, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, survived after undergoing surgery.
There are roughly 4,500 soldiers currently deployed to D.C., costing taxpayers about $1.5 million per day. The National Guard is scheduled to remain in the District through January 2029 at a total cost of $1.4 billion.
