In Washington, a shooting occurred near the White House. An Afghan immigrant, who arrived in the United States after the Taliban came to power, seriously wounded two soldiers of the National Guard. He was also wounded by return fire and then arrested. The suspect was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national.
Two soldiers of the National Guard received gunshot wounds in the afternoon near the White House. According to official reports, it was a deliberate attack. The suspect, who acted alone, was wounded by gunfire and taken into custody. The alleged shooter was an Afghan citizen who entered the United States in 2021 and lived in Washington State for some time.
Wounded National Guard soldiers arrived in Washington from West Virginia to support President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy more than 2,000 National Guard troops to combat what he called a “criminal emergency” in the nation’s capital. The guardsmen were apparently ambushed while patrolling a busy city center in broad daylight, usually filled with tourists and federal employees.
The suspect, who was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had no criminal record, according to an official. He applied for asylum in December 2024 and received approval on April 23 of this year, three months after Trump took office. Lakanval, 29, who lived in Washington State, had no criminal record, the official said.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who clashed with Trump over the deployment of troops in her city, told reporters it was a targeted shooting. At the same press briefing, Jeff Carroll, executive assistant to the chief of the Washington Police Department, said that two guard soldiers were ambushed. They were carrying out a “high-visibility patrol” at the entrance to the metro station when the suspect “jumped out from around the corner,” pulled out a weapon and shot at them.
The Department of Homeland Security did not provide other details of his immigration history, but a Trump administration official said Lakanval applied for asylum in December 2024 and received approval on April 23 of this year, three months after Trump took office. Lakanval, 29, who lived in Washington State, had no criminal record, the official said.
FBI Director Cash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said both soldiers were hospitalized in critical condition. They are part of the West Virginia National Guard, which has deployed hundreds of troops to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s crime-fighting mission, which included taking control of the local police department. About 2,200 members of the Guard participated in the mission in Washington.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially posted on social media about the deaths of two State Guard soldiers. He later retracted his words, saying that his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition. Morrisey did not elaborate.
In addition to West Virginia, troops from Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama were also in the capital in early November. Last week, a federal judge ordered a halt to the deployment of the guard, but also suspended execution of his order for 21 days to give the Trump administration time to either withdraw troops or appeal.
Afghan Immigrant Sheds Blood Near White House; Two National Guard Soldiers Seriously Wounded
