- Two West Virginia National Guard soldiers were shot and critically wounded near the White House in Washington, D.C., in what officials described as a targeted ambush.
- The shooting occurred near Farragut Square, just blocks from the White House, triggering a massive emergency response involving police, the FBI, Secret Service, ATF, and National Guard personnel.
- The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was taken into custody after being shot during the confrontation. He arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program resettling Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the Afghanistan war following the U.S. withdrawal from the country.
- Officials say the suspect had no criminal history prior to the attack and appeared to be a lone gunman. No motive has yet been established.
- U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the attack as an “act of terror,” calling the suspect an “animal.” He ordered a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees admitted under the Biden administration and the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, raising the total to over 2,500.
Two National Guard Members Shot Near the White House
