Donald Trump has declared every Afghan national who has entered the US in the last five years will be investigated after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House.
A gunman opened fire on the West Virginia soldiers near Farragut Metro station in Washington DC at around 2.15pm.
The US President said it was a ‘monstrous, ambush-style attack’, and was carried out by an Afghan migrant who arrived in September 2021 as American forces withdrew from Kabul.
Trump said: ‘This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation. I am determined to ensure the animal who perpetrated this atrocity will pay the steepest possible price.’
Who is the suspected shooter?
The suspect was also shot and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening and is in hospital.
CIA director John Ratcliffe told Fox News Lakanwal he had direct links to the intelligence organisation as he worked alongside US Special Forces in Afghanistan.
A relative revealed to NBC he has a wife and five sons, and that he was injured in Afghanistan while supporting US troops.
Ratcliffe said: ‘The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA.
‘The individual – and so many others – should have never been allowed to come here.’
But Lakanwal’s asylum status was granted in April 2025 by the Trump administration, according to CNN.
Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage, which appears to show the suspect approaching the soldiers and pulling out a gun. It is thought one of the reserve soldiers managed to exchange fire with the suspect.
Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant chief at the Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect ‘came around the corner and immediately started firing a firearm’ at the troops.
‘It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,’ Carroll said.
‘At this point, we have no other suspects.’
Was there a motive?
The motive of the ‘targeted’ attack is unclear, police official Jeffrey Carroll said at a news conference. No other suspects are being sought.
A video of the aftermath of the shooting appears to show soldiers and Secret Service piling on a suspect as they struggle to detain him.
Two women exited the metro station just after the shots were fired, and someone told them: ‘Run.’
Emma McDonald and Leila Christopher ran to a cafe for a shelter. One bystander told them they’d heard six gunshots in quick succession.
Several minutes later, McDonald saw an EMT truck pull up, and then responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood, she said.
What is the condition of the victims?
Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, confirmed this evening that the men are in critical condition.
Governor Patrick Morrisey had earlier said the two had died; he’s since said his office is receiving ‘conflicting reports’ about their condition.
‘Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community,’ he added on X.
Where did the shooting take place?
The shooting took place around a block away from the White House, near Farragut Square.
The Guardsmen were part of a deployment ordered by President Donald Trump, who was at his West Palm Beach golf course when the shooting took place.
Trump warned in a statement on social media that the ‘animal’ who shot them ‘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!’
What has the White House said?
Trump confirmed every single Afghan national who entered the US during Joe Biden’s administration will be investigated.
The president has asked for 500 more members of the National Guard, the state-based military force, to be deployed Washington.
Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said: ‘This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington DC safe and beautiful.
‘If criminals want to conduct things like this, violence against others is best, we will never back down. President Trump will never back down.’
Other guards appeared emotional after their fellow soldiers were taken to the hospital.
NTD reporter Mari Otsu posted on X: ‘National Guard shot near the White House at a little before 2:15pm.
‘I was in an Uber to work, with my cameraman, and heard multiple shots fired as we passed Farragut West.
‘A member of the National Guard fell while others rushed onto the scene. Area still on lockdown and Secret Service being deployed.’
What are the National Guard?
The National Guard are a reserve military force that serves both the federal government and the states.
Most Guardsmen are part-time military members with civilian jobs or schooling.
They typically serve one weekend per month and have two weeks per year training.
They can be activated for major events at any time.
In August, Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington. Within a month, more than 2,300 National Guard troops from eight states were patrolling the city under the command of the Secretary of the Army.
The administration has also deployed Guard troops to Los Angeles and tried to send troops into Chicago and Portland, Oregon, prompting other court challenges.
