Washington– Two West Virginia National Guard members Those deployed in the nation’s capital were shot Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser They said they were taken to hospital in critical condition.
The rare shooting of National Guard members, the day before Thanksgiving, comes at a time when the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities across the country has been a hot-button issue for months, fueling… Court battles And a broader policy debate over the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials describe as an out-of-control crime problem.
The suspect who was in custody was also shot and suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Welcoming Allies, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from the country, officials said.
This initiative brought nearly 76,000 people to the United States, many of whom worked alongside American troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump, his allies, Republicans in Congress and some government watchdogs over loopholes in the vetting process and speed of admission, even as supporters say it provides a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban retaliation.
Two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said the suspect, who lived in Washington state, was named Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background. The people were unable to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Lakmal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127.1 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Christina Weidman.
On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump, in a video message posted on social media, called for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.
“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was a “crime against our entire nation.”
Jeffrey Carroll, executive assistant to the D.C. police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the attacker “came around the corner” and immediately began shooting at the forces, citing the video reviewed by investigators.
“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the soldiers were dead, but later retracted that statement to say his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition.
The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 additional National Guard members to Washington. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump asked him to send troops.
Nearly 2,200 soldiers are currently assigned to the Joint Task Force operating in the city, according to the latest government update.
The shooting occurred approximately two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Carroll said that other soldiers in the area heard gunfire, so they ran and grabbed the gunman after he was shot.
“It appears that a lone gunman brandished a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether a member of the Guard or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.
“At this point we do not have any other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.
Another law enforcement official said at least one of the guardsmen exchanged gunfire with the shooter.
A social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one trooper and treating another on the glass-covered sidewalk.
Stacy Walters said she was in a car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost immediately, law enforcement swarmed the area. “It’s a beautiful day. Who’s going to do this? While we’re getting ready for the holiday?”
Emma McDonald, who exited the metro station immediately after the shooting, said she and her friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told the AP that minutes later she saw first responders rolling out a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.
Police tape cordoned off the scene, firelights and police vehicles flashed and helicopter blades circled overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were there, and National Guard troops were standing nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
“I think it’s a painful reminder that soldiers, whether active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and shield of the United States of America,” Vice President J.D. Vance said at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.
Gen. Steven Nordhaus, head of the National Guard Bureau, canceled plans to spend the holiday with troops at Guantanamo Bay in order to travel to D.C. and be with Guard members there instead.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on social media that he visited wounded National Guard members in the hospital and that his “heart breaks for them.”
Trump issued Emergency order In August, the local police force was consolidated and National Guard troops were sent in from eight states and the District of Columbia. The matter ended after a month, but the forces remained.
Last week, a federal judge ordered a halt to the deployment, but suspended her order for 21 days to allow the administration time to either withdraw the troops or appeal.
Guard members patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and were assigned to collect trash and guard sporting events.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago.
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This story has been updated to correct that the Washington police official’s first name is spelled Jeffrey, not Geoffrey.
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Associated Press journalists Konstantin Torobin, Seung-Min Kim, Safiya Riedel, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedyne, Evan Vucci, Nathan Elgren, John Raby, Haley Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.