Late on Wednesday evening I caught a taxi home from the office after a long and sobering day.

Washington DC was still absorbing the news that two young National Guard members had been shot in broad daylight at near-point blank range a block from the White House. One of them, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, has died .

"Late night in the office?" the cab driver said.

"Yes..." I replied, not massively enthusiastic for a chat.

"We'll need to go a different way. The roads are closed because of the shooting." he told me.

"Terrible, eh?" I replied.

"Yes. I just heard the president..." he said pointing to his car radio.

An hour earlier President Donald Trump had addressed the nation from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida .

Image: A picture of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom is di

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