WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump condemned what he described as a targeted ambush near the White House that left two West Virginia National Guard soldiers in critical condition, after authorities identified 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal as the suspect. The shooting occurred Wednesday afternoon near 17th and I Streets NW, prompting temporary lockdowns across several federal buildings and an emergency air traffic halt at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
According to federal officials cited by Newsweek, Lakanwal is an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome. He was granted asylum in April 2025 and was shot and taken into custody after the attack. No motive has been released, though officials described the incident as a deliberate ambush targeting uniformed Guard members.
In a video address, Trump called the shooting “an act of terror” and directed the Defense Department to deploy an additional 500 troops to Washington, D.C. He said the incident underscored what he views as national security risks tied to immigration and pledged to re-examine Afghan entrants who arrived under the Biden administration. Shortly after his remarks, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it would pause all Afghan-related immigration processing pending a security review.
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