Shooting site near the White House
Suspect in White House shooting served with US forces in Afghanistan
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A 29-year-old Afghan man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who served alongside US troops in Afghanistan, shot and wounded two National Guard soldiers near the White House on Wednesday afternoon, US media reported.
Lakanwal was subsequently shot and hospitalized, while authorities labeled the incident an “act of terror.”
President Donald Trump confirmed that Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program launched under former President Joe Biden to resettle vulnerable Afghans after the Taliban regained control of the country. Trump called the attack “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror” and described it as “a crime against our entire nation.”
Jeffery Carroll, assistant chief of Washington police, said the suspect “ambushed” the soldiers, firing at close range. FBI Director Kash Patel reported that both Guards members are in critical condition. Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with bystanders fleeing as gunshots rang out and National Guard soldiers responded swiftly.
The attack has renewed debates over Trump’s domestic policies, including the deployment of troops to several Democratic-run cities, which has sparked lawsuits and criticism from local officials. Trump indicated that his efforts to review and remove illegal migrants, particularly those who arrived from Afghanistan, would intensify. Shortly after the incident, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an indefinite suspension of Afghan immigration requests pending further security review.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, which assisted Afghan resettlement, emphasized that Lakanwal’s violent actions should not be used to stigmatize the wider Afghan community.
In response to the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced an additional 500 National Guard troops would be deployed to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500, despite a recent federal court ruling deeming such deployments in the capital unlawful.
