Afghan gunman shot 2national guard in D.C., Trump calls it ‘act of terror’

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – According to law enforcement officials and local police on Wednesday said that an Afghan-origin man has been identified as the suspect in the DC shooting that critically injured 2 National Guard personnel near the White House.

US President Trump ordered an additional 500 troops to reinforce security across the nation’s capitol, he called the attack an “act of terror”.

The alleged shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29 year old Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021.

The authorities have verified his identity, a detailed assessment of his background and possible motivations is still underway.

Investigators have identified a 29-year-old Afghan national as the suspect behind the shooting that critically injured two National Guard members in a high-security area near the White House.

The attack unfolded on Wednesday triggered lockdowns across central Washington and has now been classified as a potential act of terrorism.

Law enforcement sources told that investigators are continuing to validate parts of his history. For now, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies have not confirmed any ideological motive.

The shooting occurred close to 17th Street and I Street NW, an area that sits within walking distance of several major federal buildings.

The National Guard personnel were carrying out “high-visibility patrols” when a man reportedly stepped out from behind a corner, raised a handgun and opened fire on two Guardsmen.

Other Guard members stationed immediately returned fire, prompting a rapid federal-security response. Several government offices, including parts of the White House complex, were placed under precautionary lockdown as officials swept the area to rule out additional threats. The injured Guardsmen remain in critical condition, police said

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and FBI Director Kash Patel said the two wounded soldiers remain in critical condition at a DC hospital.

President Donald Trump confirmed that the suspect was also seriously injured in the exchange.

The FBI has categorized the incident as an assault on federal officers, triggered a terrorism-related investigation.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey whose state had deployed the two Guardsmen to Washington—incorrectly suggested the soldiers had died. Morrisey later issued a revised statement acknowledging “conflicting reports,” and officials have asked the public to await formal updates.

The names of the Guardsmen have not been released.

Trump condemned the shooting in strong terms, called it: “An act of evil and an act of hatred, and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity.”

He said the suspect in custody was a “foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth,” and blamed the previous Biden administration for admitting him as a refugee.

Trump also announced plans to reassess immigration records of Afghans who entered the US under the former administration.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden… if they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said.

He authorized the deployment of 500 more National Guard personnel to strengthen security across the capita in response to the heightened alert.

The attack site was less than 500 metres from the White House, raising concerns about the vulnerability of patrol units in a high-security zone.

Washington has around 2,400 National Guard troops deployed approximately 950 from the DC National Guard and another 1,300 from eight other states. These deployments have expanded under the Trump administration’s broader public-safety operations.

Trump posted on X: “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen will pay a very steep price. God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement.”

FBI Director Patel said the case will be prosecuted at the federal level given that the victims were uniformed federal officers on official duty.

Mayor Bowser described the incident as a “targeted shooting.”

The officials said they are working to stabilize the injured soldiers and verify the suspect’s background as the investigation still active.

More details are expected as agencies process evidence gathered from the scene and interview responding personnel.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that the administration has ordered the deployment of an additional 500 troops to Washington.

FBI Director Kash Patel said that the case will be prosecuted at the federal level since “this is an assault on federal law enforcement officers.”

Multiple states have sent Guard personnel to Washington in recent months as part of President Trump’s public-safety crackdown. The mission has since expanded to several other major US cities.

‘Violence has no place in America’: Barack Obama on Washington shooting

Former US President Barack Obama has condemned the Washington shooting, stating that “violence has no place in America”.