Two West Virginia National Guard servicemembers are in critical condition after being shot near the White House on Wednesday in what officials have described as a targeted attack.
The incident occurred at around 2:15 p.m. during high-visibility patrols by National Guard members, Metropolitan Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, appeared to act alone and was taken into custody following an exchange of gunfire. Officials said it remains unclear whether the suspect was shot by one of the guards or another responding officer. Lakanwal and the injured guards were transported to local hospitals, with the suspect’s injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
President Donald Trump called the attack “monstrous” and an “act of terror” in a video statement from Florida, while ordering an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington, D.C. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the deployment would help secure the capital. Trump described the shooter as an Afghan national brought to the U.S. under President Joe Biden’s administration and used the attack to push his anti-immigration platform.
The two Guardsmen, a man and a woman, have not been publicly identified. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey condemned the attack as “an act of unspeakable violence” but later clarified that reports of the victims’ deaths were incorrect, citing conflicting information. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said he visited the servicemembers in hospital and expressed sympathy for the victims and their families.
Authorities believe Lakanwal used a handgun recovered at the scene. Law enforcement is investigating how he obtained the weapon, noting restrictions on firearm sales to non-citizens. Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. in 2021 and was granted asylum. He previously served in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces and lived in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children.
The FBI is treating the shooting as a potential act of international terrorism. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that all Afghan immigration requests are paused pending a review of vetting and security protocols.
The attack has sparked politically charged responses, with Trump and several Republican lawmakers calling for stricter immigration controls and deportations, while advocacy groups urged caution against demonizing the Afghan community. AfghanEvac, a nonprofit supporting resettled Afghans, condemned any attempts to use the incident to target Afghan families, emphasizing that the suspect’s actions should not reflect on the wider community.
The investigation remains ongoing, with law enforcement continuing to gather details on the motive and circumstances of the shooting.