President Donald Trump has announced that every Afghan national who entered the United States in the last five years will be investigated following a shooting near the White House that left two National Guard soldiers critically injured.
The incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26, near Farragut Metro Station in Washington, D.C., when a gunman opened fire on the soldiers.
Trump described the attack as a “monstrous, ambush-style attack” carried out by an Afghan migrant who arrived in September 2021 as American forces withdrew from Kabul. “This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation. I am determined to ensure the animal who perpetrated this atrocity will pay the steepest possible price,” he said.
The suspect has been identified by U.S. media as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News that Lakanwal had direct links to the intelligence organisation, having worked alongside U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan. A relative revealed that Lakanwal has a wife and five sons and was injured in Afghanistan while supporting U.S. troops. Ratcliffe criticised the Biden administration for permitting his entry into the U.S., stating, “The individual – and so many others – should have never been allowed to come here.”
Lakanwal’s asylum status, however, was granted in April 2025 by the Trump administration, according to CNN. CCTV footage reportedly shows the suspect approaching the soldiers and opening fire, though one of the reservists may have returned fire. Jeffrey Carroll, executive assistant chief at the Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect “came around the corner and immediately started firing a firearm” at the troops. No other suspects are currently being sought, and the motive remains unclear.
Images and eyewitness accounts showed one Guardsman bleeding on the floor near a bus shelter with broken glass, while a video captured soldiers and Secret Service personnel restraining the suspect. Bystanders reported hearing six gunshots in quick succession. Kash Patel, FBI director, confirmed that the soldiers are in critical condition. Governor Patrick Morrisey initially reported the soldiers as dead but later clarified that his office was receiving conflicting information. “Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community,” he said.
