Two National Guard soldiers were critically wounded in a targeted shooting near the White House on Wednesday, with the suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, taken into custody after being shot. The incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. ET near the corner of 17th and I streets, just blocks from the White House, where the soldiers were part of a “high-visibility patrol”.
According to witnesses, the suspect ambushed the soldiers, and after an exchange of gunfire, other National Guard troops subdued him. The wounded soldiers, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were hospitalized in critical condition.
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting, calling it an “act of terror” and vowing that the suspect would “pay a very steep price”. The FBI is leading the investigation, and the White House has been placed on lockdown.
The suspect, Lakanwal, is a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a program for Afghans who assisted the US during the Afghanistan war. However, he overstayed his visa and was in the country illegally, according to officials. The shooting has sparked concerns about security in Washington, DC, and has led to an increase in National Guard deployments, with 500 additional troops being sent to the area.
