How many National Guard members have died in service-related incidents this year (2025)?

1. What the reporting establishes: two West Virginia Guardsmen killed in Washington, D.C.

Local and national outlets report that two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot while on a “high-visibility” patrol near the White House on Nov. 26, 2025, and that West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey later stated both had died from their injuries ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Reuters and other wires described the attack as a targeted ambush and said the suspect was in custody after also being shot ^[2]. Multiple outlets note the soldiers were part of a larger contingent deployed to D.C. this year ^[4].

2. Conflicting timelines and official statements — what to watch for

Initial accounts emphasized that the two guardsmen were critically wounded; subsequent statements from the West Virginia governor and state media said they died. Some outlets continued to describe the victims as critically wounded in early live updates, highlighting the typical lag and evolution in breaking-news information ^{[5] [6] [4]}. Reporters and readers should treat early casualty counts cautiously until medical and official confirmations are posted ^{[6] [5]}.

3. Why this incident drew national attention

The shooting occurred just blocks from the White House and involved federally deployed state National Guard troops, elevating it from a local crime to a national-security and political story. President Trump publicly labeled the event an “act of terror,” and federal agencies including the FBI and DHS were reported as involved in the response and investigation ^{[7] [6] [2]}. The proximity to the presidential residence and the fact the victims were on federal duty explain the intense, immediate coverage ^{[2] [6]}.

4. What the reports do not answer — broader 2025 casualty totals

None of the provided articles offer a year-to-date total of National Guard members who have died in service-related incidents in 2025. Sources focus on this specific November shooting and on details of the deployment, suspect identity, and immediate aftermath; an aggregate mortality count for the Guard in 2025 is not included in the available reporting ^{[1] [2] [3]}. For a comprehensive tally you would need Department of Defense or National Guard Bureau statistics, which are not present in these sources.

5. Context: deployments, political friction, and possible agendas

Reporting repeatedly links the incident to the politically fraught deployment of National Guard troops to Washington this year, including legal challenges to that deployment; coverage shows how this tragedy sits at the intersection of security policy and partisan debate ^{[4] [6]}. Statements from political figures — such as President Trump calling the shooting terrorism and tying it to immigration — illustrate how stakeholders can frame a criminal act to support policy narratives; readers should note those rhetorical uses alongside factual reporting ^{[7] [6]}.

6. Next steps for verification and fuller reporting

To answer your original question definitively (total service-related National Guard deaths in 2025), seek one of three sources not present here: a) an official tally from the National Guard Bureau or Department of Defense, b) a cumulative year-end report from a major wire service that compiles military casualties, or c) a dedicated investigation by a national outlet that aggregates state-by-state National Guard fatalities. The articles provided only document this high-profile Nov. 26 incident and do not supply a full-year figure ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Bottom line: current reporting in the supplied sources documents two West Virginia National Guard members shot near the White House on Nov. 26, 2025, with state officials saying they died of their wounds ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Available sources do not present a comprehensive count of National Guard deaths for all of 2025 ^{[1] [2] [3]}.