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- By Shivangi Sharma
- Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:03 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, has been identified as the suspected gunman in the shocking shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House on Wednesday afternoon. The attack, which unfolded around 2:15 pm near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest Washington, DC, has triggered a sweeping federal response and intensified scrutiny of Afghan resettlement programs.
According to Metropolitan Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll, the gunman turned a corner, raised his weapon, and immediately opened fire on two uniformed Guardsmen patrolling the area. The victims, a man and a woman, were critically injured and rushed to nearby hospitals. Witness accounts and preliminary evidence indicate the attack was “targeted,” with officials confirming that Lakanwal specifically aimed at West Virginia National Guard members.
Law enforcement sources told multiple outlets that Lakanwal was shot four times by a third Guardsman who responded instantly, stopping the assault. The suspect was taken into custody nearly naked as medics worked to stabilise him.
Who Rahmanullah Lakanwal?
Rahmanullah Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 following the Biden administration’s evacuation of Afghans after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
President Trump says the animal who shot our National Guard was flown in from Hellhole Afghanistan by Biden. "Nobody knew who was coming in, knew anything about it! And his status was extended by legislation signed by Biden” pic.twitter.com/0JSyt8IqDo
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 27, 2025
According to law enforcement officials, Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025 during the Trump administration. The FBI is currently treating the case as a potential act of international terrorism, exploring whether Lakanwal may have been influenced or inspired by extremist groups. Police stress that he acted alone and that no motive has yet been established.
Federal And Local Response
In an address Wednesday night, President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as “a crime against our entire nation” and confirmed the suspect had entered from Afghanistan. The White House went into temporary lockdown following the attack, and the administration ordered 500 additional National Guard troops to secure the capital.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser labelled the assault a “targeted shooting,” while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced expanded troop deployment. FBI Director Kash Patel emphasised that the case will be prosecuted at the federal level since it involved an attack on federal law enforcement personnel.