Rahmanullah Lakanwal
CrimePoliticsWashington D.C.

Afghan National Identified as Suspect in Shooting of Two National Guardsmen in D.C.

RNN Staff

The suspect in the shocking shooting of two National Guard troops near the White House has been identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

CBS News confirmed Lakanwal’s identity and reported that he used a handgun to carry out the brazen attack on Wednesday, which took place near the entrance to the Farragut West Metro Station in downtown Washington, D.C. The shooting triggered a partial lockdown at the White House and left both service members critically wounded.

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported that Lakanwal entered the U.S. on September 8, 2021, under President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome,” a program established in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. The program aimed to resettle tens of thousands of Afghan nationals—many without proper vetting—across the United States.

According to Melugin, Lakanwal’s permission to remain in the U.S. expired in September 2025, meaning he has been in the country illegally for at least two months. ICE has not yet confirmed whether deportation proceedings were ever initiated or if Lakanwal had any prior encounters with law enforcement before the shooting.

The attack left three people shot, including the two Guardsmen from West Virginia who were in uniform at the time. The suspect was also reportedly wounded during the incident and remains in custody.

President Donald Trump responded shortly after the incident, calling the attacker an “animal” and expressing support for the wounded Guardsmen. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement,” Trump wrote. “These are truly Great People.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called the shooting “a cowardly, dastardly act targeting the best of America, heroes willing to serve in Washington, D.C.” He confirmed that Trump had ordered the deployment of 500 additional National Guardsmen to the capital in response.

“This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful,” Hegseth added.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS was working closely with local law enforcement and called on Americans to pray for the victims. “Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C.,” she said.

Lakanwal’s immigration status, combined with the location and nature of the attack, has already reignited fierce criticism of the Biden administration’s Afghanistan resettlement policies. Critics say the president’s failure to properly vet Afghan evacuees has directly endangered American lives.

More details are expected to be released as the investigation continues.

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