2 National Guardsmen Shot Near White House; Suspect Identified as Afghan National

The suspect entered the U.S. under a Biden-era program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country.

WASHINGTON—Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot near the White House on Nov. 26 and are in critical condition, authorities said. The suspect is in custody.

At a press conference, FBI Director Kash Patel said the guardsmen were in critical condition in the hospital. He also pledged to bring those responsible to justice.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially posted that the guardsmen were part of his state’s National Guard and had passed away. In a subsequent post to social media, he said that “we are now receiving conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members and will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information.”

Metropolitan DC Police executive assistant chief Jeff Carroll said the incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. ET in the area between 17th and I Street Northwest.

He said that the suspect appeared to be a lone gunman who ambushed the guardsmen.

“A suspect came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members,” Carroll said at the press conference.

According to Carroll, other National Guard members “were able to, after some back and forth, able to subdue the individual and bring him into custody.” He was also transferred to a local hospital for treatment.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed the shooting was “targeted” and said the suspect would “be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country.

In a prerecorded video address late on Wednesday, President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as “an act of evil, an act of hatred, and an act of terror,” and vowed to make the perpetrator pay “the steepest possible price.”

He also called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.

“We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country,” Trump said.

“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.”

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency later announced that it has halted processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely, “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the attack only hardens the administration’s resolve and that he is requesting 500 additional guardsmen for the district.

“We will never back down,” Hegseth wrote on X.

“This happened just steps away from the White House. It will not stand, and that’s why President Trump has asked me and I will ask the Secretary of the Army to the National Guard to add 500 additional troops, national guardsmen, to Washington D.C.”

The shooting came at a contentious time for the city and the Trump administration, which have been litigating over the National Guard’s presence. A federal judge ruled on Nov. 20 that the Guard’s presence was illegal.

However, the judge delayed the effects of her ruling for 21 days, and the Trump administration filed a notice of appeal on Nov. 25.

“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C.,” Homeland Security Secretary Krsti Noem wrote in a post on X at around 3 p.m.

Noem said the Department of Homeland Security was working with local law enforcement officials investigating the incident.

The National Guard troops involved in the shooting incident were assigned to Joint Task Force-DC—a mission President Donald Trump launched in August, to support local and federal law enforcement efforts in the nation’s capital.

In an emailed press statement, a spokesperson for Joint Task Force-DC told The Epoch Times that task force members were patrolling near the Farragut West Metro Station when they came under fire.

“Joint Task Force-DC is working closely with Metro PD and partner law enforcement agencies,” the spokesperson said.

Members of the District of Columbia National Guard, and National Guard members from various other supporting states, have been attached to Joint Task Force-DC.

Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi similarly posted requests for prayers.

“FBI is engaged and assisting with the investigation in Washington, D.C. after National Guard members were shot this afternoon,” Patel said.

Mari Otsu, a reporter with The Epoch Times’ sister outlet NTD, said the incident happened a little before 2:15 p.m. Multiple shots were heard near Farragut West. “A member of the National Guard fell while others rushed onto the scene,” she said.

Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled the names of Patrick Morrisey and Kristi Noem. The Epoch Times and The Thinking Conservative regrets the errors.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

By Ryan Morgan and Sam Dorman

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com