I’m sure that the National Guard shooter suspect cringed from his hospital bed when he heard that Kash Patel, the intrepid head of the Federal Bureau Of Investigation, was out to get him. Possibly he even laughed so hard as to open his stitches. While it is scarcely a laughing matter that a suspect of a heinous crime is in custody, it is a laughing matter that said suspect’s whereabouts are a mystery to the man who is spearheading the investigation into this tragedy. It does beg the question of what else Patel is not aware of, at the very least. Daily Beast:
FBI Director Kash Patel vowed to launch a manhunt for the shooter who wounded two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday—only for an official to point out that a suspect is already in custody at a hospital.
The embattled FBI director, 45, found himself embarrassingly out of the loop during a news conference on the “targeted” shooting, which has left two guardsmen in critical condition.
“As you can see behind me, we have assembled the full force of both the federal and state and local law enforcement agencies to bring bare all of our resources to make sure we find the perpetrators responsible for this heinous act,” Patel declared. “And make no mistake, they will be brought to justice.”
All of the king’s horses and all of the king’s men already did the basics of laying their hands on the suspect. How the head of the FBI got left out of the loop on something this basic is a cause for embarrassment — although maybe Kash was too busy on the phone to his girlfriend or planning to divert more government resources her way. Who knows?
Patel said the FBI would “lead out on that mission” with interagency partners before adding:
“We will short-change the American public with no resources to make sure we find and safeguard our nation’s capital right here in Washington, D.C., and bring anyone responsible for this heinous act of violence to justice.”
“We will short-chnge the public with no resources?” Scuse me, is that cop-speak for something profound? I thought the promise to “bring bare” was confusing but this new promise to short-change the public with nothing is a new foray into the realm of the incomprehensible. Anybody here have a clue?
Next to speak was Metropolitan Police Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll, who noted that the suspect had been taken into custody at the scene of the shooting.
OMG. Patel’s heart must have dropped into his stomach. I know mine would have if I had made an ass out of myself publicly like that.
“At approximately 2:15 this afternoon, members of the D.C. National Guard were on high visibility patrols in the area of 17th and I Street, Northwest, when a suspect came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members,” Carroll said. The news conference began at around 4:45 p.m. ET.
“There were other members that were in the area, they were able to—after some back and forth—able to subdue the individual and bring them into custody. Within moments, members of law enforcement in the area were also able to assist and bring that individual into custody.”
Carroll that the suspect had been transported to a local hospital “for treatment.” He said it appears the shooter acted alone but did not reveal the suspect’s name.
Behold. A law enforcement individual with the facts, just the facts ma’am as they said on Dragnet. It makes you wonder who should be running the FBI and who should be an executive assistant with Metro P.D., does it not?
When a reporter pressed Patel on his vow to “make sure we find the perpetrators” and asked for clarification that the suspect is indeed in custody, the FBI director only nodded and looked to Carroll.
Carroll replied that “no other suspects” had been identified and said video from the area appears to show a “lone gunman.”
A lone gunman. Again. Hey, I’ve got a great idea: I think Kash Patel should call up Ted Cruz and see if Cruz’s father left any notes that Patel could use in his investigation. On the broadest of brushstrokes, though, can you believe that Patel got up in front of a crowd without the slightest clue of what had taken place and without even doing minor due diligence to see if any other law enforcement body had facts?
The FBI is an utter farce in 2025. J. Edgar Hoover is rolling in his grave right now, because this is not the first time Patel has botched the basics. When a suspect was in custody in the Charlie Kirk shooting, Patel failed to report when the person was deemed to not be the shooter and released. Patel did everything he could to cover his tracks on that occasion, saying that no other FBI Director is “more willing to work the media,” than he is.
Maybe Keystone Kash shouldn’t worry so hard about working the media and just get the facts straight before he talks to them to begin with. Seems like a simple enough request.
At this point the only person thrilled with Patel’s performance is Pete Hegseth, because Patel makes him look good by comparison. If there is one cabinet member who is pitching for Patel to stay in his office, it would be none other than Hegseth. Anybody else is probably wondering whether the rumors are true that Trump intends to replace Patel and hoping that they are.
