Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
An Afghan national who entered the United States through a Biden-era resettlement program has been arrested in the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House, an attack that left both soldiers critically wounded and intensified political battles over the use of troops in U.S. cities.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the soldiers were in critical condition following Wednesday afternoon’s ambush. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey walked back an earlier statement announcing the troops had died, saying he received “conflicting reports” on their status.
Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to provide an update Thursday but told Fox News the soldiers “came through surgery,” adding that charges would depend on their prognosis. “If something happens … we will do everything in our power to seek the death penalty against that monster,” she said.
The shooting occurred on the eve of Thanksgiving, a rare attack on National Guard members on American soil and at a moment when the Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of troops to Washington and other cities has become a flashpoint in legal and political fights over crime and public safety.
Suspect arrived in U.S. under Afghan evacuation program
The suspect, identified by law enforcement officials as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was also shot during the encounter but is expected to survive. Officials say Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration initiative that resettled tens of thousands of Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces.
The program has faced sharp criticism from Trump and congressional Republicans over vetting procedures, even as refugee advocates stress the danger faced by Afghans who supported the U.S. mission.
Lakanwal had been living in Washington state with his wife and five children, according to his former landlord. He previously worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar,” former CIA Director John Ratcliffe said, without offering details.
Trump calls for review of Afghan refugees
In a video message Wednesday night, President Donald Trump called the shooting “a crime against our entire nation” and demanded a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees admitted under Biden.
“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” Trump said.
Authorities said investigators have not identified a motive. D.C. police officials said video footage shows the gunman “came around the corner” and immediately opened fire on the troops near a Metro station about two blocks from the White House.
“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.
Guard members subdued gunman
Other Guard members nearby responded, tackled the shooter and held him down after he was wounded, police said. It was not immediately clear whether a Guard member or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.
Social media videos showed first responders performing CPR on one soldier and treating another amid broken glass on the sidewalk.
Witnesses described chaos as gunfire rang out. People fled into nearby businesses and ducked for cover as police and federal agents converged on the area.
Troop deployment already under legal scrutiny
The attack comes as the federal deployment of nearly 2,200 National Guard members to Washington faces a court challenge. The troops were initially sent under an emergency order Trump issued in August that federalized the D.C. police force and brought in Guard units from multiple states.
A federal judge ruled last week that the deployment must end but allowed the administration 21 days to comply or file an appeal.
Guard members have been stationed in neighborhoods, transit hubs and at public events. More than 300 West Virginia Guard members were among the units deployed; about 160 recently volunteered to extend their service through the end of the year.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking to troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, called the shooting “a somber reminder” of the risks servicemembers face “whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard.”
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said he visited the wounded soldiers late Wednesday, writing that his “heart breaks for them.”
