Panic at White House as Two National Guards Shot, Trump Makes Address
- Two National Guard soldiers were critically wounded in a targeted ambush near the White House on Wednesday
- Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome
- The attack prompted President Trump to order additional troop deployments and suspend Afghan immigration processing pending a security review
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Two National Guard soldiers were shot and critically wounded on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, in downtown Washington near the White House.
Officials described the incident as a targeted ambush.
Source: Getty Images
The suspect was taken into custody after suffering gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national residing in Washington state. Authorities said they had yet to determine a motive for the attack.
Afghan national suspect identified
According to DHS, Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a programme launched during Joe Biden’s presidency to resettle Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war.
A Trump administration official, speaking anonymously, said Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23, 2025, three months after Donald Trump took office. The official added that Lakanwal had no known criminal history.
Trump responds to shooting
President Trump, who was at his resort in Florida at the time of the attack, released a prerecorded video statement late on Wednesday.
He called the shooting “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.” He pledged that his administration would “re-examine” all Afghans who entered the U.S. during Biden’s presidency.
Later that night, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency announced an immediate and indefinite halt to the “processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals” while security and vetting protocols were reviewed.
See the X post below:
National guard patrol targeted
The two soldiers, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were on a “high-visibility patrol” around 2:15 p.m. ET near the corner of 17th and I streets, just blocks from the White House. Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect came around a corner and “ambushed” them.
After an exchange of gunfire, other National Guard troops subdued the shooter. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the soldiers remained in critical condition at local hospitals. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a briefing, “This is a targeted shooting.” Officials added that the suspect appeared to have acted alone.
Security tightened in capital
In response to the attack, Trump ordered 500 additional National Guard soldiers to be deployed to Washington. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the reinforcements would join about 2,200 already stationed in the city as part of the president’s immigration and crime crackdown.
Vice President JD Vance commented on X that the shooting justified the administration’s immigration policy. “We must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country,” he wrote.
Critics argued that Trump’s immigration crackdown had used harsh tactics and indiscriminately targeted immigrants, including those with no criminal history or those legally residing in the country.
Source: Getty Images
Witnesses describe chaotic scene
The shooting unfolded near Farragut Square, a busy lunchtime spot for office workers. Witnesses described panic as pedestrians fled after shots rang out.
Mike Ryan, 55, said he was walking to buy lunch when he heard gunfire. He ran half a block before hearing another round.
Returning to the scene, he saw two soldiers on the ground while others tried to resuscitate one of them. He also saw Guard troops pinning a man to the ground.
Emma McDonald, another witness, said she saw one of the soldiers carried away on a stretcher, his head covered in blood and a compression device attached to his chest.
National guard presence in Washington
National Guard soldiers have been stationed in Washington since Trump’s initial deployment in August, a move opposed by local officials and criticised by Democrats. Troops in the capital include contingents from the District of Columbia and several states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that crime in Washington has disappeared due to the deployment, though police statistics have contradicted that assertion.
Gunshots fired near Trump as secret service takes action
Legit.ng earlier reported that in a tense situation on Sunday afternoon, former President Donald Trump was escorted to safety by the Secret Service after agents opened fire on a man suspected of carrying a weapon near the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Legit.ng reports that this incident comes just two months after Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, injuring the former president in the ear.
Source: Legit.ng
