Two West Virginia National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., were shot just blocks from the White House on Wednesday afternoon in what officials are calling a targeted attack. Both soldiers were rushed to hospital in critical condition, shaking a city already tense over the Trump administration’s expanded military presence.
Authorities say the suspected gunman — who was also shot during the confrontation — has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, believed to be an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021 and had been living in Washington state. Law enforcement officials, who spoke anonymously, said investigators are still working to verify his background as the probe continues.
The shooting unfolded near a metro station northwest of the White House. Investigators say the attacker “came around the corner” and immediately opened fire on the troops. Other National Guard members nearby charged toward the scene, helping to subdue the shooter moments after he was injured.
“This was a targeted shooting,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said, while FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the victims remain in critical condition.
The violence erupted the day before Thanksgiving and comes amid months of political clashes, lawsuits, and public debate over the administration’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops across major U.S. cities. Nearly 2,200 troops are currently assigned to Washington under a joint task force.
President Donald Trump responded swiftly, ordering an additional 500 National Guard members to the capital. In a video message posted later, he said the U.S. should reinvestigate all Afghan refugees admitted during the Biden administration, calling the shooting “a crime against our entire nation.” He also vowed that the suspected gunman “will pay a very steep price.”
Eyewitnesses described chaos as police and emergency vehicles descended on the area. Social media videos showed first responders performing CPR on one of the wounded Guard members. Emma McDonald, who had just exited a nearby metro station, said she and others took cover in a café as sirens blared and people fled.
Investigators have not released a motive. One officer said at least one of the Guard members exchanged gunfire with the suspect, though it’s unclear whether troops or police ultimately shot him.
The attack prompted high-level concern across the military. Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, cancelled Thanksgiving plans to travel to Guantanamo Bay, choosing instead to be in Washington with deployed troops. U.S. Vice-President JD Vance urged Americans to pray for the injured soldiers, calling the incident a “somber reminder” of the risks faced by all service members.
This latest act of violence comes as a federal judge has ordered the end of Trump’s expanded troop deployment — an order currently paused for 21 days to give the administration time to respond or appeal. Since August, National Guard members in the capital have been patrolling neighbourhoods, monitoring transit stations, staffing checkpoints, cleaning public spaces and guarding major events.
Of the more than 300 West Virginia Guard members sent to Washington in August, about 160 recently volunteered to extend their deployment through the end of the year. The rest returned home earlier this month.