Washington, DC [US], Nov 27 : Authorities have identified the man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021. Investigators are still reviewing his background, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear.
The shooting happened on Wednesday afternoon during high-visibility patrols near 17th Street and I Street NW, an area surrounded by major federal buildings. According to officials, the gunman stepped out from a corner, raised a handgun and opened fire on the two soldiers. Other Guard personnel responded immediately, returning fire and triggering a rapid lockdown of the White House and nearby offices.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and FBI Director Kash Patel said the injured Guardsmen remain in critical condition. President Donald Trump later noted that the suspect was also seriously wounded in the exchange.
The FBI is treating the case as a possible act of terrorism and has classified it as an assault on federal officers. In response to the incident and the heightened threat level, the administration has deployed an additional 500 National Guard members across Washington, DC.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially announced that the two injured Guardsmen — both from his state — had died. He later clarified that reports were conflicting and that they remain in critical condition at a DC hospital. Their names have not been released, pending family notification.
