The man who shot and seriously wounded two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, according to the FBI.
Lakanwal emigrated to the United States during President Joe Biden‘s chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, the New York Post reported.
He arrived through a program called Operation Allies Welcome, per The New York Times. The Biden-era initiative provided safe haven to Afghans looking to flee Taliban rule in their country.
Lakanwal, 29, was taken into custody after allegedly launching the assault at around 2:10pm at Farragut West metro station, which is in the center of Washington, DC.
The attack, which is now being investigated as an act of terrorism, quickly turned into a shootout after the suspect reportedly got three shots off before officials returned fire.
The perpetrator came around a corner, raised his gun and fired at the guard members, according to Jeffery Carroll, the Executive Assistant Chief of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
Carroll added that the suspect was subdued by other guardsmen after ‘some back and forth’. When he was taken into custody, he did not have an ID on him and was reportedly not cooperating with investigators.
Both National Guard members were shot in the head, and CNN obtained a cell phone video showing authorities performing CPR on one of the guardsmen.
Both guard members are in critical condition and Lakanwal, who was also shot, has non-life-threatening injuries, according to federal law enforcement officials.
An unnamed shooter opened fire on Wednesday afternoon in Washington, DC, leaving two National Guardsmen in a critical condition
The attack quickly turned into a shoot-out after the suspect reportedly shot three times before officials returned fire
Lakanwal was identified by authorities through his fingerprints, though officials are still working to confirm other details of his identity.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that two victims were being treated at a local hospital after West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey earlier sparked confusion by announcing the soldiers were dead before walking back his statement.
Patel added that the suspect would be charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. The maximum penalty for this offense is 20 years in prison.
West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey said the two wounded soldiers ‘volunteered their time,’ along with others, to serve during the Thanksgiving holiday.
‘He has attacked two of the bravest people,’ McCuskey said of the shooter.
President Donald Trump, who was in Florida at the time of the shooting for the Thanksgiving holiday, vowed that the assailant will pay a ‘very steep price.’
He wrote on Truth Social: ‘The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price.’
‘God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!’
The president ordered an additional 500 troops to deploy following the shooting on Wednesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that two soldiers were being treated at a local hospital
Department of Corrections employees are seen entering the George Washington University Hospital after the shooting
Hegseth called the attack a ‘cowardly, dastardly act, targeting the best of America.’
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her department was working with local law enforcement.
Graphic images from the scene showed a soldier lying injured on the pavement with blood pouring from his head as a Secret Service agent gave him medical attention.
Stacey Walters, a nurse who lives in Washington, told the Associated Press she was near 17th Street in a car when she heard two gunshots.
She described hearing ‘boom boom’ and then noticed small children and others running while law enforcement swarmed the area.
‘It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this [while] we’re getting ready for the holidays?’ Walters said.
Trump deployed the National Guard to the nation’s capital in August, as he sought to crack down on rising violent crime.
More than three months later, the issue is still being fought in the courts.
Last week, Judge Jia Michelle Cobb of the District Court for DC ruled that the Trump administration violated the city’s Home Rule Act by deploying units for non-military crime-deterrence operations.
Her ruling, handed down on Thursday, placed a 21-day stay on the order, allowing for continued troop presence until December 11. This means that if it is enforced, servicemen could be home with 14 days left until Christmas.
This period also allows the Trump administration to appeal the decision.
