National Guardsmen shot in DC near White House

WASHINGTON — Two West Virginia National Guard members shot Wednesday near the White House are in critical condition in a local hospital, FBI Director Kash Patel said. 

The shooting appeared to be targeted at the Guard members, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said. It happened at the corner of 17th and H Streets in the northwest quadrant of the city, roughly two blocks northwest of the White House, at around 2:15 p.m.

The shooter was detained by other National Guard members who intervened after the suspect started shooting. 

Investigators believe the suspect is an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021 and has been living in Washington state, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said.

The suspect has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, they said.

Hours later, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the 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.”

The suspect is being treated at a local hospital. One National Guard member was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the incident who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially said the guard members had died in a social media post but later backtracked on their condition.

President Donald Trump, who is in Florida celebrating Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “will pay a very steep price.”

“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”

The Trump administration ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following the shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.

Hegseth said President Donald Trump asked him to send the Guard members.

There are currently 2,188 troops assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government’s latest update.

Reagan National Airport briefly issued a ground stop due to the incident. Flights have since resumed and the airport is operating normally. 

The shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.

“It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.

“At this point we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.

At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a glass-covered sidewalk.

Stacy Walters said she was in a car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost instantly, law enforcement swarmed the area. “It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this? And we’re getting ready for the holidays?”

Emma McDonald, who exited a metro station just after the shots were fired, said she and a friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told AP that minutes later she saw first responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.

Police tape cordoned off the scene, and fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were there, and National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.

The president, who was in Florida for Thanksgiving, said in a statement posted on social media that the “animal” who shot the guard members “will pay a very steep price.”

“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

In Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Vice President JD Vance urged “everybody who’s a person of faith” to pray for the two guard members. He cautioned that much remained unknown, including the motive.

“I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vance said as he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, scrapped plans to spend the holiday with troops at Guantanamo Bay in order to travel to D.C. and be with guard members there instead.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.

Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports 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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