WASHINGTON D.C. – Two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot and critically wounded in a brazen, “targeted” attack just two blocks from the White House on Wednesday afternoon, according to Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and FBI Director Kash Patel.
The shooting, which occurred near a metro station in a high-security zone, involved a single gunman who investigators say ambushed the troops. The incident has intensified the already contentious public debate surrounding the Trump administration’s deployment of military personnel to combat crime in the nation’s capital.
Targeted Attack and Suspect in Custody
D.C. Executive Assistant Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll stated that video evidence showed the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately opened fire on the troops. “It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said at a news conference, adding that a motive is currently unknown.
- The two National Guard members remain in critical condition at a local hospital. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially reported the troops had died but later issued a statement citing “conflicting reports.”
- The suspect, who was also shot, is in police custody with non-life-threatening wounds.
- Other National Guard members and law enforcement, hearing the gunfire, rushed to the scene and held down the gunman after he was shot, according to police. It remains unclear who fired the shot that wounded the suspect.
Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that the suspect has been tentatively identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021 and has been living in Washington state. Authorities are working to confirm his background.
President Trump Orders More Troops
President Donald Trump, who was in Florida for Thanksgiving, quickly responded to the news, issuing a statement on Truth Social condemning the “animal” who shot the Guard members, vowing that he “will pay a very steep price.”
In response to the attack, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that President Trump had ordered the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington D.C., raising the total number of assigned troops to nearly 2,700.
The presence of the National Guard in D.C. has been a flashpoint, stemming from President Trump’s August emergency order federalizing the local police and bringing in Guard units from multiple states to address crime. A federal judge had recently ordered an end to the deployment but placed a 21-day hold on the ruling to allow for an appeal.
