Two National Guard soldiers were shot and critically wounded in a targeted attack just blocks from the White House on Wednesday in Washington, DC. The shooting took place shortly after 2:15 pm (local time) near the corner of 17th and I Streets NW, in a high-security zone close to the White House perimeter. The suspect, who also suffered gunshot wounds, was taken into custody at the scene.
The shooting unfolded near Farragut Square, a busy lunch spot ringed by offices, chain restaurants and coffee shops, and decorated for the holiday season with wreaths and bows wrapped around lamp posts. The park sits next to two Metro stations and is only a short walk from the White House.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said the Guard soldiers were on a "high-visibility patrol" when the attacker came around a corner and "ambushed" them. After an exchange of fire, other Guard members pinned down and arrested the suspect.
According to NBC News, the suspect, who allegedly used a handgun, had initially been identified as a 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He was reportedly shot four times on the scene, and is currently hospitalised. Law enforcement officials said they are still working to verify all the individual’s details.
President Donald Trump was at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday, while US Vice President JD Vance was in Kentucky when the attack took place.
In a message posted on social media, Trump said the "animal" responsible "will pay a very steep price". He praised the National Guard: "God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!"
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "This is a targeted attack."
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially said in a post on X that both victims were members of his state's National Guard and had died from their injuries. But he soon posted a second statement that cited "conflicting reports" about their condition.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that two wounded soldiers were in critical condition at local hospitals. Emergency medical personnel also transported the suspect to hospital. Officials said the gunman appeared to have acted alone, and no motive had been established. The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been released.
The Joint DC Task Force said its units responded after reports of gunfire at the intersection of 17th and H Streets NW, an area that sits just steps from the White House security boundary.
The incident triggered an immediate lockdown at the White House as agents from the US Secret Service, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives converged on the scene. The Metropolitan Police Department said its officers were assisting federal agencies.
National Guard troops have been a constant presence in Washington since August, when Trump issued an emergency order that federalised the DC police and brought in Guard contingents from eight states as part of his contentious immigration and crime crackdown in Democratic-led cities.
As of Wednesday, about 2,200 National Guard personnel were deployed across the capital, including forces from the District of Columbia as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama.
Following Wednesday’s attack, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Trump had requested yet another increase in troop levels in the city.
"This happened just steps from the White House and it will not stand. That’s why President Trump has asked me -- and I will ask the secretary of the Army -- to deploy an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, DC," Hegseth told reporters.
The Federal Aviation Administration said incoming flights to Reagan Washington National Airport were temporarily paused on Wednesday because of the location of aircraft involved in the emergency response to the shooting. Departing flights were not affected, and normal operations later resumed.
Source: ANI