What is the Department of Defense’s most recent official statement on injured National Guard personnel?

1. Shooting near the White House: who is reporting what

Multiple outlets say two National Guard members were shot near Farragut West, two blocks from the White House, and were hospitalized; Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called it a “targeted attack” and said the troops were in critical condition ^{[1] [5]}. Reuters reports the shooting as a “targeted ambush” with the suspect in custody and the two guardsmen critically wounded ^[1]. Other outlets—Newsweek, The New York Times, Forbes, NBC Washington and The Independent—recount similar timelines and cite local and federal officials in their live updates ^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}.

2. Conflicting and changing statements from state and other officials

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey posted that the two guardsmen had died, then quickly backtracked, saying his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition ^{[2] [4]}. Several outlets quote his initial social-media post asserting the deaths and the subsequent clarification; the governor’s changing statements created confusion in early reporting ^{[6] [9]}.

3. What the Department of Defense (DoD) is reported to have done or said

The supplied search results include reporting about broader DoD actions—such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying he would request 500 additional National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, D.C.—but they do not contain a DoD press release specifically updating the medical condition of the injured guardsmen ^[10]. A search result for official releases titled “Releases | U.S. Department of War” appears but is not a DoD statement about this incident in the materials provided ^[11]. Therefore, available sources do not mention a specific DoD “most recent official statement” on the injured personnel’s condition.

4. Federal investigative and security response documented in reporting

Reporting notes the FBI, Washington Metropolitan Police and U.S. Secret Service were involved; the FBI director reportedly said the agency was assisting with the investigation ^[9]. Sources also identify the suspect as injured and taken into custody, and outlets relay that law enforcement views the event as a targeted attack while the motive remained unclear at publication ^{[1] [7]}.

5. Media confusion and the risks of early reporting

The timeline shows standard pitfalls: Governor Morrisey’s initial death announcement, rapid backtracking, and multiple outlets flagging “conflicting reports” underscore how chaotic, initial coverage of violent incidents can be ^{[2] [4] [9]}. Journalists and officials cited in these pieces attempted to correct or clarify details as more information came in ^{[4] [6]}.

6. What we can reliably say and what remains unclear

Reliable, repeated points in the provided coverage: two West Virginia National Guard members were shot near the White House, the attack was described as targeted, the suspect is in custody and injured, and D.C. officials said the guardsmen were critically wounded ^{[1] [5] [8]}. What remains unclear in these sources: a confirmed final medical outcome from a DoD statement and any DoD casualty report; the materials provided do not include a DoD release confirming deaths or updated conditions (available sources do not mention a DoD statement about casualty status) ^{[11] [10]}.

Conclusion and guidance for follow-up reporting: To find the Department of Defense’s explicit, most recent official statement on the injured National Guard personnel, consult the DoD press office, the National Guard Bureau’s official releases (nationalguard.mil) or the Pentagon’s verified social accounts. The current corpus of news reports documents the incident, local and state statements, and a planned increase in D.C. Guard force levels, but does not contain a definitive DoD casualty-status release ^{[12] [13] [10]}.