Two National Guard soldiers were critically wounded on Wednesday in a targeted ambush near the White House in downtown Washington, D.C. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was taken into custody after sustaining gunshot wounds during the confrontation. Officials described the attack as an act of terrorism, noting that the shooter appeared to have acted alone.
Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program that resettled Afghans who had assisted the U.S. during the Afghanistan war and were at risk from Taliban reprisals.
He was processed through Washington Dulles International Airport in September of that year and applied for asylum in December 2024, which was approved in April 2025. According to officials, Lakanwal had no prior criminal history.
The two soldiers, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were on a high-visibility patrol around 2:15 pm near 17th and I streets, just blocks from the White House. Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll described the incident as an ambush, with the suspect opening fire as the soldiers patrolled.
After a brief exchange of gunfire, additional National Guard personnel subdued Lakanwal. The injured soldiers were transported to local hospitals and remain in critical condition, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser emphasized that the attack was clearly targeted. In response, President Donald Trump, who was at his Florida resort at the time, released a prerecorded statement condemning the shooting as “an act of evil, an act of hatred, and an act of terror.”
Trump announced plans to re-examine the immigration status of Afghans who arrived during the Biden administration and ordered 500 additional National Guard soldiers deployed to Washington, joining the 2,200 already stationed in the city.
Vice President JD Vance supported the administration’s immigration policies, citing the attack as evidence for stricter measures. Critics, however, argue that these policies have been overly harsh, targeting immigrants indiscriminately, including those with no criminal history or who are legally residing in the United States.
The investigation into the ambush remains ongoing, with authorities reviewing the motives and potential connections of the suspect.
