US authorities have identified the gunman who critically wounded two National Guard members just blocks from the White House. The FBI is investigating the attack as a potential act of terrorism.
According to officials familiar with the case, the gunman is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021.
A Trump administration official said the suspected shooter had been transported to a hospital with gunshot wounds. Quoting law enforcement sources, CNN reported the suspect appeared to have deliberately targeted the Guard soldiers.
Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal
US media described Lakanwal as a migrant from Afghanistan who came to the United States during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal.
He "gravely wounded two National Guards", according to those reports.
The New York Post reported, quoting law enforcement sources, that Lakanwal waited near the Farragut West Metro Station around 2:15 pm (local time) before opening fire, striking a female guard in the chest and then the head.
He then reportedly turned his weapon on a second Guard member until a third soldier intervened and “took him down”.
The two wounded soldiers were rushed to a nearby hospital and remain in critical condition.
Police said Lakanwal acted alone. He was reportedly shot four times and hauled away nearly naked in an ambulance.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Lakanwal’s identity has been confirmed, though investigators are still working to verify elements of his background. The motive remains unclear.
According to reports, Lakanwal arrived in the US under Operation Allies Welcome and was resettled in Bellingham, Washington.
NBC and The Washington Post said he had lived in Washington state since arriving.
The Operation Allies Welcome programme, launched under the Biden administration, evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans following the US withdrawal. The initiative brought about 76,000 people to the United States, many of them former interpreters and translators who had worked closely with American troops and diplomats.
The programme has since come under heavy scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and several government watchdogs, who have criticised gaps in vetting and the rapid pace of admissions. Advocates, however, argue it provided a crucial lifeline to Afghans facing Taliban reprisals.
'Act of terrorism'
NBC also reported that the FBI is investigating the attack as a possible act of terrorism.
The FBI has designated the shooting an assault on federal officers. In response, the Trump administration has ordered an additional 500 National Guard personnel to reinforce security across Washington, DC.
In a social media post, Trump called the suspected shooter an "animal" who would "pay a very steep price", praising the National Guard. Trump is currently at his resort in Palm Beach, while Vice President JD Vance is in Kentucky.
The shooting erupted near Farragut Square, a busy area filled with office workers and flanked by restaurants and coffee shops. Witnesses described chaos as pedestrians ran for safety.
Mike Ryan, 55, said he heard what sounded like gunfire while heading to buy lunch. He ran half a block before hearing another burst. Returning to the scene, he saw “two National Guard members on the ground” as people attempted resuscitation. He also saw Guard members restraining a suspect.
Another witness, Emma McDonald, said she saw one of the wounded soldiers carried away on a stretcher, “his head covered in blood and an automated compression system attached to his chest.”
National Guard troops have been deployed across Washington since August, when Trump ordered them onto the streets as part of his immigration and crime crackdown. As of Wednesday, around 2,200 Guard troops from multiple states were stationed in the capital.