Two West Virginia National Guardsmen remain in critical condition after a targeted shooting near the White House, Washington, DC, officials confirmed on Thursday. Mayor Muriel Bowser described the incident as a “targeted shooting,” noting that investigators believe the attack specifically focused on the service members.
The Department of Homeland Security later identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal. According to earlier reporting, Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024, which was approved in April 2025 under the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting in a televised address, calling it a “heinous assault” and “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.” He said authorities believe the shooter is from Afghanistan and that he arrived in the United States in 2021. “It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity,” Trump said, vowing that the suspect would face the “steepest possible price.”
The president also claimed that the suspect had been “flown in” during the Biden administration in 2021, though officials have not released additional context regarding his entry beyond the DHS confirmation.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court for an emergency stay on a ruling ordering the removal of National Guard troops from Washington, DC. A federal judge ruled last week that the deployment was unlawful, prompting the administration to seek immediate intervention to keep the Guard in place amid heightened security concerns.
Authorities say the investigation into the shooting remains active, with federal and local agencies coordinating closely as the condition of the two wounded Guardsmen continues to be monitored.
