National Guard soldiers shot in 'targeted' attack near White House

Two National Guard soldiers were shot and critically wounded on Wednesday in downtown Washington near the White House in what officials described as a targeted ambush.

Investigators identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national from Washington State, according to two Trump administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, one official said.

Lakanwal came to the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, according to the second official, a Biden-era program to resettle thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the Afghanistan war. 

He was processed through Washington Dulles International Airport on 8 September of that year.

Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on 23 April of this year, according to the official, three months after President Donald Trump took office. He has no criminal history.

Trump, who was at his resort in Florida at the time of the attack, released a prerecorded video statement late on Wednesday calling the shooting "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror."

He said his administration would "re-examine" all Afghans who came to the U.S. during Joe Biden's presidency.

Vice President JD Vance called the shooting “a somber reminder that America’s soldiers — active duty, reserve, and National Guard — remain the shield of the nation.”

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, head of the National Guard Bureau, cancelled plans to spend Thanksgiving with troops abroad in order to travel to Washington, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said he had visited the wounded soldiers in hospital, adding that his “heart breaks for them.”

The two soldiers, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were part of a "high-visibility patrol" near the corner of 17th and I streets, a few blocks from the White House.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire erupted near the busy downtown area. Social media videos captured first responders performing CPR on one soldier while another lay on a sidewalk scattered with broken glass.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially announced that the two National Guard members had died, but later walked back the statement, saying he had received “conflicting reports” about their condition.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday morning that both soldiers had undergone surgery and emphasized that the charges against the suspect would depend on their prognosis. He added, that authorities would “do everything in our power to seek the death penalty against that monster” if their condition worsened.

The suspect came around a corner and "ambushed" them, Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said at a press briefing.

After an exchange of gunfire, other National Guard troops subdued the shooter, he said. The two wounded soldiers were in critical condition at local hospitals, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Authorities say the suspect was also shot during the confrontation, though his injuries were not life-threatening. The shooter appeared to have acted alone, without any motive discovered so far, according to the investigators.

Metropolitan Police officials said video evidence shows the gunman “coming around the corner and immediately opening fire” on the patrol.

"This is a targeted attack," Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the press briefing.

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