The suspect is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan citizen who entered the United States in 2021, as reported by CBS and CNN. Before the identity was revealed, the attacker was described as a “lone shooter” by Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who added that the attack on the National Guard members was targeted.
The incident occurred at a subway station located about 500 meters from the White House, and the soldiers were armed at the time of the attack. Lakanwal is in custody with multiple gunshot wounds and does not appear to be in life-threatening condition, according to an agent who spoke to the Associated Press (AP) on the condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to discuss the matter.
One of the National Guard members was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the attack, who also spoke to AP under anonymity. The Governor of West Virginia, the state to which the soldiers belong, initially said both had died but later retracted that statement, saying the office was “receiving conflicting reports about their condition.”
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel and Muriel Bowser stated that the victims are hospitalized in critical condition. U.S. President Donald Trump promised that the person responsible for the shooting would “pay a very high price.”
“The animal who shot the two National Guard members, both severely injured and now in different hospitals, is also gravely wounded, but, despite everything, he will pay a very high price,” read the Republican leader’s statement on the social network Truth Social.
“God bless our great National Guard and all our military and police. These are truly extraordinary people. As President of the United States, and on behalf of everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, we are with you,” Trump emphasized.
The National Guard has been at the center of a political and legal dispute since Donald Trump ordered their deployment in Washington D.C. and other cities, citing security concerns, a measure that a court in the capital ruled exceeded presidential powers.
On Wednesday, the Trump Administration filed an emergency motion to appeal this decision and prevent the members of the agency from being withdrawn from Washington by December 11, the deadline set by the court.
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