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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Two National Guardsmen in Critical Condition After D.C. Shooting; Source Says, D.C. Suspect Not Cooperating With Authorities; Police Say, Suspect Apparently Targeted National Guard Troops. Two National Guardsmen In Critical Condition After D.C. Shooting. Aired 6- 7p ET

Aired November 26, 2025 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:00:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for joining me on The Lead. I'm Erika Hill in for Jake Tapper.

And we do begin with the breaking news tonight, two West Virginia National Guardsmen shot in downtown Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House. Both Guardsmen are in critical condition. Officials call this a targeted shooting, saying they were ambushed by a lone gunman. FBI Director Kash Patel vowing that justice will be served.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: Since this is an assault on a federal law enforcement officer, this will be treated at the federal level as an assault on a federal law enforcement officer. The FBI will lead out on that mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Now, according to law enforcement sources, the suspect is not cooperating at this hour with investigators.

CNN's Brian Todd is near the scene. So, Brian, bring us up to speed on what more we know at this hour.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, still a very heavy law enforcement presence here at the corner of 17th and K Street. I'm only about a block away from where the shooting occurred. That's over my right shoulder here. You see these uniformed Secret Service officers behind me, still a very heavy Metropolitan D.C. Police presence here. The shooting occurred just at that corner over there, according to Jeff Carroll, the executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Washington Police.

According to Chief Carroll, he said, at about 2:15 P.M. Eastern Time at the corner of 17th and I, and that's where you're looking right there, this was right near the Farragut West Metro Station, he said a suspect came around a corner, raised his firearm, and then discharged it at the two National Guardsmen. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the Guardsmen are now in critical condition. Other Guardsmen nearby, after some back and forth, according to the chief, were able to subdue the suspect.

As you mentioned D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says this was a targeted shooting at the news conference this a short time ago. I shouted a question at the chief, at Kash Patel and at the mayor, what do you -- what can you tell us about a possible motive? They did not answer that question before walking away.

We are told to move over to my right. We're going to do that as a car is in need of passing here. So just bear with us.

In addition, Erica, I spoke to two eyewitnesses on the scene here, a lady who said -- both people actually said they heard the shots, didn't actually see the shots being fired. One lady said she heard shots being fired, then turned and saw people administering CPR to someone who was on the ground.

Another young gentleman named Ryan Ake (ph), a 21-year-old college student who's visiting his family here in D.C., he was at a Potbelly sandwich shop not far from here. About 30 seconds after getting out of the store, he said he heard the gunshots. Then he looked over toward the scene, he said he saw a man on the ground with his hands -- he was on his stomach with his hands behind his back.

He said he assumed that was the shooter. He said that at least one person was holding that person down. Then he said he saw other people administering CPR to someone who was on the ground. So, those two consistent eyewitness accounts of CPR being administered to people who were on the ground in the moments after the shooting, pretty consistent there that there was a pretty quick response by other Guardsmen and first responders who got here pretty quickly. Erica?

HILL: Yes. And, Brian, I'm going to put you on the spot a little bit here, so I apologize in advance, but we had noticed in the shop behind you, there seems to be a tow truck. I'm not sure how much you can see from your vantage point or if you have a sense of, of when that arrived or if there may be a car that's being taken away. Again, I'm not sure how much you can see, so I apologize for putting you on the spot, my friend.

TODD: It's okay. No problem, Erica. Yes, the tow truck did arrive a short time ago.

Now, look, we don't know if that's in relation to a vehicle that may be getting towed. We do not know really much at this point about how the suspect got here, where the suspect came from. As I mentioned a moment ago, we have not been told anything about a motive. One law enforcement source is telling CNN that the suspect is not cooperating with law enforcement at this time.

Let's see if Albert, our photojournalist, can train his camera up toward the tow truck there to see if we can see any activity. We do not see anybody being -- any vehicles being towed at this point, but it's a very good question that you raised, Erica, because that tow truck got here, I believe, a short time ago. I do not remember seeing it here just a few moments ago. So, whether it's connected to the suspect or not, I will try to find that out.

HILL: All right. Well, we appreciate it. I know if anyone can find out, Brian Todd, it will be you. I Appreciate it. Thank you. We'll continue to check in with you.

Also here, CNN's Anchor and Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins. So, Kaitlan, in terms of the response, the president pretty quick to respond. And we're also hearing from the administration tonight.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the president said that the gunman here would pay a steep price in his first post ever since this shooting first happened, and we've obviously seen many of his top officials responding to this, including the FBI director who was at that press conference with Brian Todd and the D.C. mayor, Mayor Bowser. And then we've also heard from the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, from the DHS secretary, Kristi Noem, several of them weighing in the immediate aftermath of this.

[18:05:01]

And I do think it's important to note the president's location here, Erica. He was not in Washington at the time of this shooting. Obviously, this is quite close to the White House, where reporters and people were covering the White House and everyone else in Washington walks by every day. It's at Farragut West Metro Station right there as you're on your way up to Pennsylvania Avenue, right near the White House.

And, you know, we've been going there every single day. There's a pretty regular presence of these National Guard members on this particular corner. They're normally stationed at the entrances to the metros. And so oftentimes you can see two or three or four of them walking by when you're on your way into the offices that are in that area or on our way to the White House, as we are typically on a day- to-day basis.

And so the president has weighed in and said that he also wants the secretary -- Secretary Hegseth to send an additional 500 troops to Washington in response to this shooting that happened today. The question is whether or not we will hear any more from them as we're still waiting to learn more about what happened here, about the suspect, obviously, and, of course, the condition for these two guardsmen who are in critical condition as we know right now at a hospital in Washington.

And so the president is in Florida, at his club. He's not expected to make any public remarks tonight in front of the cameras or anything. But, obviously, it's a very fluid situation and the White House is just kind of learning as much information as we have in this moment about what has happened and what's unfolded here. HILL: Yes, absolutely. All right, Kaitlan, I appreciate it, as always, and I know you'll have much more to come just a short time from now on your show coming up right here, The Source with Kaitlan Collins, 9:00 Eastern tonight. Thank you.

Also with me, CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. So, John, when we look at what we do know in this hour, what are you hearing from your sources about where this investigation stands, especially when we're dealing with a suspect who is not cooperating?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, right now they've assigned it to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in the Washington Field Office of the FBI. They are taking the lead and working in parallel with the D.C. Metro Police, who obviously have a homicide case. But because of the construct of the D.C. justice system, both of them operate in the federal courts. So, they will be working together.

The FBI is aware of the identity of the gunman. They know who he is or at least who they believe he is.

HILL: So, wait, can I stop you there, John? Because that's new, right? So, now -- so the FBI is now telling you, your sources are telling you that the FBI now knows -- believe that they have identified this suspect.

MILLER: Yes. They believe that they have his identity and that starts a large number of wheels turning. He's not from the Washington, D.C. area. So, as was discussed earlier in the show, you know, they're looking at, okay, how did he get here, how long ago did he travel, what was the purpose of the trip, was this the purpose of the trip, and digging into his background.

HILL: Absolutely. So, there will be that part of it, right? And as we've discussed, there are a few cities probably that have as many cameras as Washington, D.C. So, being able to piece those things together is critical and I'm sure is in process at this moment. But the fact too that they do now have this identity, it also allows them to look into things like social media, other people that this person may know, other people who may know things about perhaps his whereabouts, his travel, to your point, over the last couple of days and even potentially comments that may have been made.

MILLER: Well, that's all correct. And, you know, one of the things they're looking for is, you know, there's a vehicle registered to him. Where is that vehicle? For instance, we just saw a tow truck in our live shot removing a vehicle. Is that his vehicle? It's a possibility. It also may be a vehicle that was struck by gunfire that's now being impounded as evidence to be processed somewhere other than the scene.

But, I mean, one of the things they're going to want to do is focus on that vehicle, go over those license plate readers and find out did it come into Washington, did it come into this area, or is it sitting back in the state where he is from, which is not the D.C. area. HILL: And so when we look at all of this, and we touched on this briefly, but just -- I mean, just give us a sense for people who may not be familiar with the sheer number of cameras and just how often your image is being captured as you walk through a busy area of Washington, D.C., and especially as Kaitlan was noting, especially this area that is so close to the White House that has such a large law enforcement presence at all times.

MILLER: So, Washington, D.C., like many parts of New York City, is a walking live shot, basically. Cameras are recording, license plate readers are recording. There's video everywhere, both government-run video, but mostly private video that are part of the infrastructure of the government and private buildings of Washington, D.C.

Now, for process purposes, when you have a crime and there's video, first you want to look at the instant matter video. What do we see happening here? And, you know, we've looked at some of that video. We've shown a bit of it tonight, where you can see the incident unfolding in the immediate aftermath.

[18:10:04]

When your suspect flees, then you want to push that video forward. Which way did he go? In this case, the suspect was captured on the scene.

So, then you do the opposite. You try to pull the video backward. Okay, so he came from around the corner. Now let's look at every camera on that street. If we don't see him on the next block or we don't see him getting out of a car, then let's go in both directions in that intersection until we pick him up again. What you're really trying to do is rewind that suspect's movement as far back as you can on video so that you can get a picture of was he alone, did he travel with somebody, is there a car at the end of that trail, did he come out of the transit system. They'll be looking at all of that.

And that takes a lot of people because you have to go to each building, you have to figure out how to access the cameras, and you have to go to a lot of things where you look at hours of video and it's not productive and then, you know, you find that shot. All of that's happening as we speak.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. John Miller, I always appreciate it, my friend. Thank you.

MILLER: Thanks, Erica.

HILL: And these are live pictures that you're seeing here out of Washington, D.C. You see the White House there in the background, and you can see, of course, all those lights. We are going to continue to follow these developments here again, two National Guardsmen from West Virginia in critical condition at this hour after what officials are calling a targeted attack.

Stay with us. I'll be joined live by West Virginia. Senator and former Governor Jim Justice in just moments. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:00]

HILL: We are monitoring the breaking news just blocks from the White House, two West Virginia National Guard members shot, they are now in critical condition. Authorities say the suspect who was also wounded and is in custody intentionally targeted those guard members. However, sources say the motive for the shooting itself is unclear at this hour.

Joining me now, Senator Jim Justice, Republican from West Virginia. Senator, we appreciate you taking the time. Can you share with us any updates that you may have received when it comes to the condition of these two guardsmen or even the investigation?

SEN. JIM JUSTICE (R-WV): Erica, I can't. All I know is they're in critical condition and all of us in West Virginia are praying real, real, real hard right now, and because we just think it's tragic beyond belief. You know, I had so many opportunities to be with the National Guard as the governor and, you know, whether it be bad windstorms or floods and wade mud with them, and just saw just how wonderful they are. I mean, they're heroes, they're warriors, but they're also brothers and sisters and, absolutely, they're husbands and wives and they give so much to all of us. It's off the chart.

And so I can never say enough for them. They're greatest of the greatest in my book, and we just got to keep these two wonderful people in our prayers that they're going to be okay someway, somehow.

HILL: Do you have any information of where they, they may have been from or have you been able to be in contact with their families at all?

JUSTICE: I have not. I have not, in fact, forgive my dress. You know, I've been out and just got back in some way. You know, I found out about it probably less than two hours ago. So, I have not been in contact with the families. And, you know, so, I mean, I just -- I can't, Erica, I cannot express just any more than just this. And that is simply, we deserve to be safe in our cities. We deserve to be safe in our homes. All our president is trying to do is reduce the crime, and, absolutely, all of us should celebrate that, you know? But yet this is such a heinous act. It just -- it's off the chart to me.

HILL: It is terrible. It is important to note we don't at this hour, while we were told by officials, they believe it was targeted. We do not know of a motive. But we do know that there is a suspect in custody according to authorities. The president has requested 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in the wake of this attack. Do you know if West Virginia would send any more troops?

JUSTICE: Well, I would hope they would. You know, it's really tough. But these men and women step up, don't they? And they're here for all of us all the time. And so I know West Virginia would. You know, I even pray for our governor, you know, Patrick Morrisey, his wife, Denise, and everything, because this is tough with them. But I can't tell you the times that, you know, General Hoyer and General Crane, that I worked with all the time at the Guard, the unbelievable stuff we did with COVID, and like I said, the worst thing of all, you know, you know, we waded all kinds of mud in the 2016 flood. And at that time, really, what happened was we hunted bodies. At the Greenbrier Hotel, we found three bodies on our golf courses, and then we hunted a little 14-year-old girl McKayla Phillips (ph) and everything for six weeks, and found her five miles downstream. The National Guard's unbelievable, Erica.

And so they've done so much good. And they'll step up again if called upon.

HILL: Senator, when we look at this, as you noted, if they are called upon, one former FBI executive who was on our air short time ago raised some concerns about sending more troops to the streets of Washington, D.C., in the early hours of this attack, concerned that they could be targets. Do you believe that's a well-founded concern?

JUSTICE: We can't be afraid. You know, we're looking to make things safer and we can't be afraid.

[18:20:00]

You know, Erica, I just know that they'll step up and if called upon. And so we'll wait and see what happens. You know, it's a little premature to see what's going to happen in regard to that.

But, you know, I was asked a question not long ago, a little town of Beckley, West Virginia, where I grew up, you know, supposedly, the crime in Beckley, West Virginia, is pretty doggone bad. And someone asked me, he said, would you be in favor putting some National Guard members there and everything because the high crime rate there and maybe that could settle down? I said, your dad gum right. I mean, really and truly, we deserve to be safe in this country.

And so let's just try to dwell on that. I mean, that's all our National Guard is trying to do, just help us, help us with some of these terrible crimes that are going on all the time and dial down the temperature and make things better for all of us.

HILL: And what is your message? I believe there are about a 160 National Guardsmen from West Virginia who are currently serving in the nation's capital. What is your message to them and also to their families tonight?

JUSTICE: Well, it's just -- it's really tough. And, you know, if I don't watch out, you know, I'm going to tear up and everything, but it's really, really tough. And, you know, of all things, it's Thanksgiving. And to just think, I mean, you know, probably, you know, hunting and hunting -- our hunting seasons are in West Virginia now, and it may very well be that these two young men were looking to come home to maybe go with their dads or whatever like that and go hunting.

You know, I don't know that to be the case but there's just -- it is just a horrible situation for those families and all of us, all those 160-plus, and all of us, you know, will absolutely be right with those families. They've got to remember, there's no way they're alone. But with all that being said, that's -- it's really tough. I mean, this is a really, really tough one right here.

HILL: Senator, before I let you go, these situations are certainly in the early hours, can be very fluid. We know there was some initial information that the governor had, which he then had to retract. I'm wondering what is your what is your level of information? And have you heard -- for example, have you heard from the president or from the administration?

JUSTICE: No, I've not heard from the president yet, but I've heard from lots of folks and everything and, you know, and I'm sure that Governor Morrisey felt like he had really good information and everything. And sometimes it's a little better to wait, but, nevertheless, you know, we want -- you know, his responsibility as the governor is to get out in front of things and speak to the people, you know, and comfort the people. And I'm sure he is doing -- he is trying to do exactly just that.

HILL: West Virginia Senator Jim Justice, thank you for joining us tonight, sir.

JUSTICE: No, thank all you all. God bless.

HILL: There, of course, at this hour are a number of unanswered questions after two National Guardsmen were shot, targeted, according to officials, this happening just blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C. A suspect in custody currently in the hospital. We're going to bring up to speed on what we know about this investigation, also potential charges this suspect could be facing. That's next.

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[18:25:00]

HILL: We are back now with breaking news in our National Lead, the shooting of two National Guard members in the nation's capital earlier today. Officials are calling this a targeted ambush, although the motive here remains unclear at this hour.

We do know the Guardsmen were near a bus stop when, according to police, the gunman came around a corner, raised his firearm and shot them. Here is what we are hearing as well from eyewitnesses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two shots and then three came probably 30 seconds behind them too.

REPORTER: Did you see any National Guardsmen around or --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I have not. I didn't even know that was the case until you told me about it.

REPORTER: Did you see them at all, those -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Guardsmen were shot?

REPORTER: The Guardsmen had been shot, correct, two.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What? No wonder it was such a magnitude of this. No, I didn't know that.

It's just, you know, I want to cry. That is so sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Now, the suspect was captured by other Guard members who were nearby.

CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig is with us. He's a former state and federal prosecutor. So, Elie, we heard from officials, including Kash Patel, that they plan to, you know, really go after this suspect. What are the charges that this individual could be facing?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Erica, based on what we know right now, I'd expect to see two types of charges. First of all, under D.C. local law, I'd expect to see this individual charged with two counts, one for each victim, of assault with attempt, intent to kill. That's a serious crime, of course. It carries a penalty of anywhere from 2 to 15 years.

Also separately, I'd expect to see two counts of the federal crime of attempted murder of a federal official. That applies to uniformed military officials as well. And, again, I'd expect to see one count as to each of the victims.

So, based on what we know already, we're already looking at fairly serious crimes that are likely to be charged.

HILL: And how could motive come into play, Elie?

HONIG: So, motive's really important. We've heard our law enforcement experts throughout the day talk about how that's the number one priority right now of law enforcement to figure out why this person did it. But it's also not necessary to support charges of attempted murder, as I just laid out. As long as prosecutors can show that this was an intentional act, that this person acted on purpose, not by accident, not in self-defense, that's enough.

[18:30:06]

It doesn't matter why in order to bring those attempted murder charges that I just laid out.

So, when they establish motive, that'll be really important to know. It could lead to additional charges, but they don't need to wait until they establish motive in order to bring those attempted murder charges.

HILL: And so as we're watching all of this play out, there were initial reports that the Guardsman had passed away. That was then walked back. We know that they are in critical condition. If one of them or both did in fact pass away, how does that change things?

HONIG: Right. If, heaven forbid, someone should pass away, that would cause the charges to be upgraded. You would see the attempted murder charge under local law, certainly upgraded to a murder charge. And under federal law, you would see the attempted murder of a federal official upgraded to actual murder of a federal official. And that's really important. Erica, because that would raise the potential sentence from 20 years up to either life or potentially even the death penalty. So, if it should happen, we pray it doesn't happen, but that would lead to even more serious charges.

HILL: As we heard from Kash Patel, you know, everybody's working together here, right, all the various agencies. What does that actually look like?

HONIG: Yes. So, look, this is up to the respective agencies. It's good to hear. And D.C. is unique because you have this mixture of federal and local agencies. But, ideally, you would have the FBI, you'd have the D.C. Metro Police and potentially other federal agencies sharing information, sharing leads working together to make sure they're not duplicating effort. You know, you could divvy up the tasks, you get the surveillance, you get search warrants, you get the phone records, you interview witnesses. So, it sounds like federal and local law enforcement is working together. That's a good thing. That's going to lead to better results.

HILL: So, we also know that the suspect is in the hospital. So, there are questions about how soon he could appear in court, how soon he could be charged. Is that something that can be done remotely if needed, if this person needed to stay in the hospital?

HONIG: So, he can be charged at any moment. It doesn't matter. As long as he's alive, he can be charged. However, there is the issue of when can he make his first appearance in court. Now, they will have to wait until he is of sound mind. We don't know his condition. But if this shooter is unconscious, if he's in a coma, if he's sedated, they can't start doing the court appearances then. When he becomes of sound mind, however, they can start the first court appearances.

They don't have to physically bring him into court. There's a way to do what we would call a bedside presentment. The judge and/or prosecutors can sometimes go to the hospital or you can use remote technology, like Zoom. So, I would expect to see charges land quite soon, and then they'll get him arraigned, they'll get the legal process started as soon as he's of sound mind to do that.

HILL: I want to get your take on some of the other legal things that are playing out here. So, when it comes to these troops, these National Guard troops in D.C., it was just last week, I believe, that a judge said that they -- their deployment basically was likely illegal, but gave the city -- basically, there was three weeks, right, to then take the time to remove these troops, and if the administration wanted to file an appeal. So, the administration filed an emergency motion tonight to keep the National Guard in D.C. and also the president said he wants another 500 National Guard troops to be sent. How do all of these things work together in this moment, Elie?

HONIG: Right. So, it's a complicated legal scenario. This has been an ongoing legal dispute for the last several months, ever since President Trump did deploy the National Guard into D.C. Six days ago, a federal district court judge, Judge Cobb in D.C., ruled that it was illegal. However, Judge Cobb said, I'm going to put my ruling on hold for now so the National Guard troops can remain, and I will give you until December 11th to file an appeal.

Now, it appears that the administration is in fact going to appeal that ruling, and, in fact, is calling for more troops. And, interestingly, perhaps this incident here might actually support the administration's request and the administration's claim that we do need National Guard troops there. We need them to keep order.

So, we'll see whether this incident actually plays into the legal dispute, but it's ongoing. As of now, we expect to see that appeal play out over the next few days.

HILL: All right. Elie, I appreciate it, as always. Thank you.

HONIG: Thanks, Erica. All right.

HILL: Much more ahead here on the breaking news. Again, if you're just joining us, two National Guardsman shot in Washington, D.C. Both are in critical condition tonight. President Biden also just posting about the attack, more on his reaction next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

HILL: The breaking news out of Washington, D.C., these are live pictures of police and investigators near that spot where two National Guard members were shot and critically wounded this afternoon. So, this is just blocks from the White House. President Trump was in Florida when the shooting happened. He is being kept updated as we are learning more. Of course, he's getting those updates from officials.

Former President Joe Biden just posting this message writing, Jill and I are heartbroken that two members of the National Guard were shot outside the White House. Violence of any kind is unacceptable and we must all stand against it. We are praying for the service members and their families.

Joining me now, retired FBI Special Agent Daniel Brunner, and CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Andrew McCabe. Gentlemen, good to see both of you.

So, Andrew, as we look at where things stand in this moment for the investigation, we are told by officials that this was a targeted attack, also referred to as an ambush. We know the custody is the -- pardon me, the suspect is in custody, but not cooperating. If you're leading this investigation, what is your biggest question in this moment?

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yes.

DANIEL BRUNNER, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, my question would be is --

HILL: Oh, sorry. Andrew McCabe , go ahead, and then, Daniel, pull you in after. Yes.

MCCABE: Yes. So, I think the biggest question right now is to understand a more kind of rich picture, understanding who this person is and what their potential connections might be.

[18:40:03]

It's possible that this is a lone actor who was self-motivated took advantage of a target of opportunity and struck out in a horrendous act of likely politically motivated violence, or this could be somebody who has -- is in touch with other like-minded people who might be inclined to follow his lead, and that's -- for me, that's likely the question circulating in the minds of the counterterrorism investigators tonight. They, of course, need him fully identified before they can start getting legal process to access his -- you know, to access his facilities, his telephone, his email, get into his residence and, of course, any vehicles other things that they can associate with him.

They won't wait for legal process to take a look at his social media, if there is any, but all of that stuff is dependent on a full and accurate identification.

HILL: Right. And as we're waiting for that, you and I were talking last hour about how they could start to work toward that. And, Dan, we were talking about, you know, biometrics, obviously about fingerprinting. But just how much of a challenge is it to not have that identification, and how much can it slow down in investigation in this moment?

BRUNNER: Well, if the individual isn't cooperating or if the individual doesn't have his prints on the system, it will take a while to fully identify, positively identify him. If he is in the system, obviously, the system will move much, much faster. We'll be able to identify where his residence is, identify his workplace, his coworkers, friends, coworkers phoned identity. So, everything will be, you know, will be dependent on the identification of his individual, and then the entire domino section will follow afterwards.

At this point, right now in Washington Field Office, a full command center is set up and everyone at the Joint Terrorism Task Force, they're all standing by for leads. And those leads are going to start rolling in, whether they have identified him or not, individual providing tips. They may have seen him or other people with cell phone video to, you know, better document where this individual walked from, what the blocks, what direction he came from, the direction of attack. All of those things are leads. Even without his identification as positive I.D., they're still able to track this individual backwards using CCTV or using other means of identification to properly process what direction. So, these individuals, the JTTF and all of WFO are all working and they're going to be working around the clock 24 hours a day, seven days a week with this command center in coordinating with other divisions in case he connected to New Jersey, New York, or Virginia. Other divisions are all on standby for further leads.

HILL: Andy, how does it change or complicate things, or perhaps it doesn't, given the location of this targeted attack, the fact that it was just blocks from the White House?

MCCABE: You know, most of the impact of that, Erica, was seen in the response, excuse me. This is a place -- in D.C., generally, you've got a massive number of law enforcement entities, D.C. Metropolitan Police kind of has the biggest piece of turf in the city and has kind of lead authority on most, you know, crimes like this, certainly shootings, violent crimes, things of that nature. But you've got the FBI, you've got Secret Service, you've got Park Police, you've got all these other entities right there because we are so close to the White House.

In fact, this area at the corner or the intersection of 17th and I is actually for the Secret Service, considered to be part of the normal patrol area for the Secret Service Armored -- or, I'm sorry, Uniformed Division. So, this area is constantly being patrolled by several different law enforcement entities. That's why you saw all those different uniforms and badges out there responding to the event in real time.

It raises an interesting question here. There were likely other law enforcement targets in that area at the same time. We don't know how long the shooter was there looking for targets. But, clearly, he went directly to the National Guard, National Guardsman, and that has to tell us something about his motive.

HILL: Yes. Andrew McCabe, Dan Brunner, I appreciate it. Thank you both.

While, investigators say they don't know of a motive at this point in the shooting today of two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., just ahead, a member of the Homeland Security Committee joins me to learn more. We'll learn more about how they are evaluating threats across the country in the wake of this attack.

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[18:48:44]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Police and investigators remain on the scene of this afternoon's shooting near the White House. Two members of the National Guard are in critical condition at this hour. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser describes this attack as a targeted shooting. Police say one suspect is in custody. There is no indication of another suspect.

Joining me this hour, Virginia Congressman James Walkinshaw, who serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Congressman, appreciate you joining us tonight.

A tough night and tough news. Obviously. I'm just curious where you stand, what have you -- what have you heard? But also, what's your reaction to this moment and this tragedy?

REP. JAMES WALKINSHAW (D-VA): Well, I've heard what's been reported publicly about, you know, this terrible, horrific event. And, you know, for those of us in the D.C. region, I represent northern Virginia. We're one region, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. And even though many of us feel like the National Guardsmen and women should be home with their families in their communities doing their jobs there, we've also, you know, come to admire their professionalism and the overwhelmingly positive interactions that we've had with them, during the time they've been here in D.C. to -- so to see something like this happen is shocking and horrific.

[18:50:01]

And we're all thinking about them and praying for them and their families in this moment.

HILL: Understandably, authorities have noted that this was a targeted attack. Of course, this is happening just blocks from the White House and in the White House zone of protection, multiple law enforcement agencies overlap there.

You were just appointed to the House committee on homeland security. I believe it was six days ago. How does this change things for you in terms of keeping service members safe?

WALKINSHAW: Well, look, obviously, as I said, most of us certainly on the. Democratic side, in Congress, don't think we should have National Guardsmen and women in our cities. But if that's going to happen and when that's going to happen, I think it's incumbent upon the administration to lay out a clear plan to ensure their protection. And one of my concerns that I intend to raise as a new member of homeland security committee is the way in which the Trump administration has taken its eye off the ball in a lot of critical public safety areas and shifted resources to their mass deportation efforts.

So, they're shifting resources away from illegal gun trafficking, from transnational crime, from anti-terrorism, both domestic and foreign. And they need to get their eyes back on the ball and focus on keeping all of us here in the United States of America safe.

HILL: As you -- as you mentioned, you were not necessarily in favor of having these troops in the district. But I know you have said your interactions have been very positive and in the way that it has rolled out since they were deployed. In August, as I'm sure you know, the Trump administration just filed an emergency motion to keep the National Guard in Washington. The president, in the wake of this shooting, has also requested an additional 500 National Guard troops be sent to Washington, D.C.

What is your take on those two actions by the president, by the administration, and also your message to those troops? WALKINSHAW: Well, look, my message is the same. I don't think we need

National Guard men and women in American cities, certainly not in the District of Columbia. There are a lot of things that the federal government could do to help keep Washington, D.C. safe, and other cities across the country safe.

I mentioned some of those things. They could do more, much more to crack down on illegal gun trafficking. They could do much more to prevent human trafficking and child sex trafficking. They're taking their eyes off of that ball. I think that's a better use of the federal resources than National Guardsmen and women in American cities, including the District of Columbia.

HILL: Congressman James Walkinshaw, appreciate your time. Thanks for joining us tonight.

WALKINSHAW: Thanks for having me.

HILL: In the wake of today's shooting in Washington, D.C., we did just receive an update from the police in New York City talking about security measures in place for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day parade. Much more ahead. We're going to fit in a quick break here.

Stay with us.

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[18:57:16]

HILL: We are back with the breaking news. Other cities across the U.S. on guard following today's shooting in Washington, D.C. Two National Guardsmen shot in what officials are calling an ambush attack near the White House.

The New York police commissioner writing on X, quote, "This is yet another horrific reminder of the dangers that members of law enforcement face every time they put on their uniform. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and coordinate with our partners in D.C. She also wrote that at this time, there is no known nexus to New York city."

Back with me this hour, Daniel Brunner, retired FBI special agent.

So, Dan, we look at this shooting, of course, happening on Thanksgiving Eve. There are a number of large events across the country. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, one of the largest here in New York City. But you've got parades across the country, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, multiple NFL games.

What does this change potentially in terms of security at some of these events?

DANIEL BRUNNER, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT: I think that all the -- all these locations will have an increased sense of security. They're all going to be looking out for the normal things. But that that's the thing is, they've prepared for these things. They prepared for these events.

The FBI divisions around the country have a mobile -- command post on standby to be able to react to these events. And local law enforcement, they have increased security at events in New York City. The Macy's Day parade, that's going to be the epicenter of attention, that's going to have increased, but they've already prepared for it as a major event.

So, I don't believe that anybody is going to increase security. In addition, the JTTF, the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Washington field office is clearly investigating this. If they develop new leads to new locations or other individuals that may have assisted this -- this shooter, then that will change the dynamic in those locations.

But I don't think across this country, we will -- we won't have to. And I don't think we need to elevate our alerts.

HILL: What about in Washington, D.C. specifically? We know the president is saying that he would like another 500 additional National Guard troops in the district. As we wait to see where that goes, do you think that folks there will see an increased presence starting tonight? I should say brought --

BRUNNER: I think out of an abundance of caution -- yes, I believe out of an abundance of caution, just like anywhere else, if there's an incident, the law enforcement entities around that location do increase security for just in case there is another individual part of this cell -- if it is a cell or if there's a group of individuals or copycats.

There are going to be there's going to be an increased scrutiny. There's going to be increased law enforcement presence, follow on attacks. We've seen that traditionally in other attacks and other types of incidents where there may be a secondary attack.

So I think that in Washington, D.C., yes, I think they need to remain vigilant for possible follow on attacks or if leads develop where they determine who other coconspirators that there may be have to be, you know, attacking and looking at these individuals to wrap them up.

HILL: Dan Brunner, appreciate it. As always, appreciate the insight and the expertise.

Thanks to all of you for joining us on THE LEAD.

Be sure to stay with CNN. Our coverage of the breaking news continues right now on "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT".