Targeted Attack Near the White House: Two National Guard Soldiers Shot, Suspect in Custody

Two National Guard soldiers were shot and critically injured on Wednesday in what officials described as a “targeted attack” near the White House in downtown Washington. The suspect was quickly taken into custody after the shooting.

The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national. Authorities said they are still working to determine the motive behind the attack.

According to DHS, Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era initiative created to resettle Afghans who assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war and faced retaliation after the Taliban takeover. DHS did not provide additional immigration details, but a former Trump administration official, speaking on background, said Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23 this year—three months after Donald Trump returned to the presidency.

Officials said the 29-year-old, who had been living in Washington state, had no criminal history.

While in Florida at his resort, Trump released a pre-recorded video late Wednesday condemning the shooting as “an act of evil, hatred, and terror.” He said his administration would conduct a fresh review of all Afghans who entered the U.S. during the Biden presidency.

Later that evening, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an immediate and indefinite pause on processing all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals pending a review of security and vetting procedures.

The two West Virginia National Guard soldiers were on a “high-visibility patrol” near 17th and I Streets NW—just blocks from the White House—when the attack occurred around 2:15 p.m. ET. Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect approached from a corner and “ambushed” the soldiers.

Other National Guard personnel subdued the shooter moments later. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the two wounded soldiers were in critical condition at area hospitals.

“This was a targeted shooting,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a briefing.

Authorities believe the suspect acted alone. In response, Trump ordered the deployment of 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. They will join the roughly 2,200 Guard members already in the city as part of the administration’s aggressive immigration and crime enforcement campaign—measures that have faced criticism from Democratic leaders and local officials.

Vice President JD Vance, speaking from Kentucky, said on X that the shooting “proved” Trump’s immigration policies were justified.
“We must double down on removing people who have no right to be in our country,” he wrote.

Critics of the administration counter that its policies are overly harsh and indiscriminately target immigrants, including those with legal status and no criminal record.

Witness Accounts

The shooting took place near Farragut Square, a popular lunch spot filled with restaurants, offices and Metro stations, just a short walk from the White House. Witnesses described chaos as pedestrians ran for cover after hearing gunfire.

Mike Ryan, 55, said he was walking to get lunch when he heard sounds like gunshots. He ran half a block before hearing another round. When he returned, he saw two National Guard soldiers lying on the ground while bystanders tried to assist one of them. On the other side of the street, Guard troops had pinned the suspect to the ground.

Another witness, Emma McDonald, said she saw a soldier being taken away on a stretcher a few minutes later, his head covered in blood and an automated chest compression device attached to him.

National Guard troops from several states—including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama—have been stationed in Washington since August, part of Trump’s controversial deployment that has faced repeated opposition from local leaders.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that crime in the capital has plummeted because of the deployment—assertions that contradict the Metropolitan Police Department’s official crime data.