National Guardsmen shot in Washington DC: What happened, who’s the suspect?

2 weeks ago 13

Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically wounded aft being changeable adjacent the White House. Officials person described the onslaught arsenic a “targeted shooting”.

United States President Donald Trump condemned the shooting arsenic a “heinous assault” and “an enactment of evil, an enactment of hatred and an enactment of terror”.

What happened successful Washington, DC?

Police accidental a lone fishy opened occurrence connected a National Guard subordinate astatine astir 2:15pm section clip (19:15 GMT).

The suspect, who was besides changeable during the confrontation, was taken to a infirmary for attraction and remains nether constabulary custody.

“It appears to beryllium a lone gunman who raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Jeffery Carroll, enforcement adjunct chief, told reporters.

According to a CNN report, the fishy walked up to 3 National Guard members who appeared unaware of him until helium opened fire. He changeable 1 guard, past another, earlier lasting implicit the archetypal unfortunate and appearing to effort different shot. At that point, the 3rd guardsman returned fire.

Trump was successful Florida astatine the clip of the incident.

Approximately 2,200 National Guard members person been deployed crossed the US capital, including 925 from the DC National Guard and much than 1,200 from different states.

Law-enforcement officers unafraid the country aft a shooting successful downtown Washington, connected November 26, 2025.

What is the National Guard?

The National Guard is simply a reserve subdivision of the US subject that tin beryllium called up during emergencies astatine home, specified arsenic earthy disasters oregon civilian unrest, and tin besides enactment missions overseas.

It consists of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard and has astir 431,000 members, making it the second-largest subject unit successful the country.

Each US authorities and territory, arsenic good arsenic Washington, DC, has its ain National Guard units. These units reply some to authorities leaders and the national government. This differs from the regular US military, whose active-duty members service full-time nether national command.

Two soldiers wounded connected Wednesday were members of West Virginia’s National Guard, Governor Patrick Morrisey said.

Last week, a national justice ordered a temporary halt to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, DC, ruling that the determination was apt unlawful. Following the shooting, the Trump medication sought to person that determination overturned.

A subordinate of the U.S. Secret Service stands defender successful a cordoned-off country aft 2 National Guard members

Where did the shooting instrumentality place?

The shooting took spot successful Farragut Square – a tourist-heavy country located adjacent a engaged transit centre and the White House.

Designed by Pierre L’Enfant successful 1791, Farragut Square is simply a cardinal spot successful downtown Washington, DC.

The area, wherever lampposts are wrapped successful wreaths and bows for the vacation season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a java shop, arsenic good arsenic 2 stops connected the Washington metro system.

Who is the suspect?

Investigators person identified the fishy arsenic 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Lakanwal arrived successful the US from Afghanistan successful September 2021 done Operation Allies Welcome – a programme launched nether the Joe Biden medication to resettle Afghans aft the Taliban regained power pursuing the US withdrawal.

“I tin study contiguous that based connected the champion disposable information, the Department of Homeland Security is assured that the fishy successful custody is simply a foreigner who entered our state from Afghanistan – a hellhole connected Earth,” Trump said successful a video message.

The fishy who changeable our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan nationalist who was 1 of the galore unvetted, wide paroled into the United States nether Operation Allies Welcome connected September 8, 2021, nether the Biden Administration.

I volition not utter this depraved individual’s name.…

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) November 27, 2025

What is Operation Allies Welcome?

Operation Allies Welcome was a US programme started successful 2021 to assistance Afghans who fled their state aft the Taliban took control. Many of these Afghans had worked with US troops arsenic interpreters, drivers, oregon enactment unit and feared they could beryllium targeted. Others, specified arsenic journalists and women’s rights activists, were besides astatine risk.

Under the programme, tens of thousands of Afghans were transported to US subject bases, wherever they underwent aesculapian checks, received vaccinations, and completed migration processing. They besides underwent information screening earlier being relocated to communities crossed the country.

According to the Congressional Research Service, astir 76,000 Afghans entered the US done the initiative, which lasted astir a year. The programme aboriginal faced disapproval from immoderate Republicans who argued the vetting process was insufficient.

What’s next?

In effect to the attack, Trump announced plans to grow deportation efforts and said his medication would re-examine Afghans who arrived aft the Taliban takeover. “We indispensable present re-examine each azygous alien who has entered our state from Afghanistan,” helium said.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it is pausing the processing of each Afghan migration requests “pending further reappraisal of information and vetting protocols.”

Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that an further 500 National Guard members, from a authorities yet to beryllium named, would beryllium sent to Washington, DC, to bolster information and reassure the public.

Effective immediately, processing of each migration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further reappraisal of information and vetting protocols.

The extortion and information of our homeland and of the American radical remains our singular absorption and…

— USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025

What person been the reactions?

In his statement, Trump said helium was “determined to guarantee that the carnal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest imaginable price”.

“We are not going to enactment up with these kinds of assaults connected instrumentality and bid by radical who shouldn’t adjacent beryllium successful our country,” helium said.

President Trump delivers remarks connected the horrific onslaught connected the Great National Guard Warriors https://t.co/xDxRzJENU0

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 27, 2025

Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, a conjugation that assists Afghans seeking to immigrate, said the organisation believes that the attacker should look “full accountability and prosecution”. But helium warned that the incidental should not beryllium utilized to “demonise the Afghan community”.

Our connection regarding today’s horrific shooting.

Our hearts spell retired to the brave guardsmen attacked today.

We volition not fto the enactment of 1 deranged asshole beryllium the excuse utilized to origin harm to an full assemblage of people. pic.twitter.com/LcMODaYEXD

— Shawn VanDiver (@shawnjvandiver) November 27, 2025

Former President Joe Biden said helium and his wife, Jill, are “heartbroken” by the shooting.

“Violence of immoderate benignant is unacceptable, and we indispensable each basal agreed against it. We are praying for the work members and their families,” Biden wrote connected X.

Jill and I are heartbroken that 2 members of the National Guard were changeable extracurricular the White House. Violence of immoderate benignant is unacceptable, and we indispensable each basal agreed against it. We are praying for the work members and their families.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 26, 2025

Former US President Barack Obama shared a station connected societal media condemning the attack, and saying, “Violence has nary spot successful America.”

Violence has nary spot successful America. Michelle and I are praying for the servicemembers changeable successful Washington, DC today, and nonstop our emotion to their families arsenic they participate this vacation play nether the astir tragic of circumstances.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 27, 2025

General Steven Nordhaus, the caput of the National Guard, said helium was returning to Washington, DC, from Guantanamo Bay, which helium was visiting to walk Thanksgiving with US troops astatine the subject base.

SEA Raines and I articulation our full National Guard household successful praying for the betterment of the 2 West Virginia National Guard heroes who were changeable portion protecting our Nation's superior today. pic.twitter.com/iOj465v1Aa

— Gen. Steven Nordhaus (@ChiefNGB) November 26, 2025

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