The suspect was later identified as an Afghan national who had previously received paramilitary training and support from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Afghanistan.[6][7] Following the attack, President Donald Trump announced an additional crackdown on the city, and requested the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard troops.[8][9] The shooting became a political flashpoint,[10] and led to anti-immigration statements by Republican politicians with calls to deport all "Islamists".[11][12]
Before the shooting, the deployment of National Guard troops, including the contingent from West Virginia National Guard, to Washington, D.C., was part of a broader domestic-military mobilization ordered in August 2025 by President Donald Trump. The troops were stationed near Farragut Square, approximately two blocks northwest of the White House, as part of patrols in downtown Washington.[13][14] The deployment had been controversial,[15] and a federal judge had ruled a week prior that such a deployment was unlawful.[16] The ruling was stayed until December 11 pending an appeal by the Trump administration.[17]
Shooting
The shooting occurred on November 26, 2025, near the Farragut West metro station in Washington, D.C., two blocks northwest of the White House.[18] The suspect approached the guardsmen, firing at one who was several feet away before firing at the other, who tried to get behind a bus stop shelter.[19] One of the national guardsmen then engaged the shooter with gunfire.[18] Both guardsmen were shot in the head.[20]
Law enforcement officials described it as an ambush-style attack and said 10 to 15 shots were fired.[21] The shooter initially used a .357 MagnumSmith & Wesson revolver,[2] and shooting the guardswoman, picked up her firearm to shoot the guardsman.[22] West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey initially announced that two National Guard members had been killed in a shooting near the White House. Soon afterward, he backtracked, saying reports about their condition were conflicting.[23]
Suspect
A male suspect was taken into custody, and the suspect was reported to be seriously injured, though not life-threatening, after being stabbed with a pocket knife by a guardsman,[22] and also shot[24][18] four times.[21] The suspect is not cooperating with investigators.[19] The suspect was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal (born February 9, 1996)[25], a 29-year-old Afghan national of Pashtun background from Khost Province,[6] who is alleged to have used a handgun in the attack. He entered the United States on September 8, 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a humanitarian parole program allowing vulnerable Afghans to enter and stay for two years without permanent immigration status.[26][27][28] He was last reported living in Bellingham, Washington, where he lived since his departure from Afghanistan.[29] He applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted in April 2025.[30][31]
In Afghanistan, Lakanwal worked for a CIA-backed "Zero Unit" of the Afghan National Directorate of Security in Kandahar Province.[32] "Zero Units" were paramilitary group "known for their brutality and labeled death squads", trained for nighttime raids on suspected Taliban members. A friend of Lakanwal said he "suffered from mental health issues and was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused".[6]
Following the shooting, federal agents executed search warrants at his Bellingham apartment, and seized several electronic devices.[33]
Victims
The two West Virginia National Guard members were identified as 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe of Martinsburg, West Virginia,[34] and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, West Virginia,[35] according to a statement from US Attorney Jeanine Pirro. US Attorney General Pam Bondi reported that both soldiers had "come through surgery".[36] Beckstrom died from her injuries on November 27.[37]
Reactions and analysis
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump–who was vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach County, Florida, at the time[38]–posted: "The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, 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. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!"[39] Hours after the shooting, Trump requested 500 additional National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, D.C.[8][40][9] Vice-President JD Vance, who was at Fort Campbell in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, asked for prayers for the national guardsmen who were shot.[41] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will investigate the shooting as an act of possible terrorism.[42]
Bellingham's mayor Kim Lund honored the National Guard on an email post following the attack and Lakanwal's arrest, adding that "there is no excuse for the heinous violent attack they suffered, with the terrible actions committed in Washington are the actions of one person and not a community", adding that "they never represent Bellingham’s values, never reflect Washington's values, and never represent what makes our communities safe.”[46]
The shooting only intensified debate over the necessity of a military deployment to the district.[47] Investigative journalist Jane Mayer, a DC resident, called the incident "tragic" and said the deployment was "for political show and at what a cost"; White House communications director Steven Cheung told her to "shut the fuck up".[48]
…Even as we have progressed technologically, Immigration Policy has eroded those gains and living conditions for many. I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization. These goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations, including those admitted through an unauthorized and illegal Autopen approval process. Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation. Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!
The shooting quickly became a political flashpoint,[10] and Reuters described Republican politicians as blaming the Biden administration for poor vetting even though the suspect was granted asylum under the Trump administration.[51]Axios described Republicans as increasing anti-immigration rhetoric following the shooting with calls to "deport them all", with Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville calling on banning all Islamic immigrants and to deport "every single Islamist who is living among us just waiting to attack".[11]The New York Times described Trump as using the shooting to cast suspicion on all refugees without evidence. On November 27, when asked if he was considering deporting all Afghans based on the crime of one man, Trump said "No, but there's a lot of problems with Afghans", repeated unfounded claims of crime by immigrants and said he was "looking at" deporting the wife and children of the suspect. Trump then pivoted to discussing Somali refugees in Minnesota, saying they were "taking over" the state. When asked what Somali refugees had to do with the Afghan suspect, Trump responded "Ah, nothing, but Somalians have caused a lot of trouble, they're ripping us off a lot of money", referring to recent reports that Somali immigrants in Minnesota had funneled money to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab,[52] following which he proceeded to criticize Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar.[12]The Associated Press reported that Afghan immigrants were afraid to leave their houses for fear of being deported or attacked with hate speech following the shooting, and refugee groups worried about Afghans being considered guilty by association.[53]
On November 27, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that all immigration applications for Afghan nationals were halted indefinitely, pending a review of security and vetting procedures.[54] Also, under President Trump’s direction, USCIS announced that it will re-examine all green cards issued to individuals from the 19 "countries of concern" listed in Proclamation 10949. USCIS said in a statement that when reviewing immigrants from those countries, the agency will now consider "negative, country-specific factors," including whether the country is able to issue "secure identity documents."[55] That evening, Trump announced on social media he would "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries" and denaturalize migrants "who undermine domestic tranquillity" following which he proceeded to mock Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's intelligence regarding Somali immigrants and Representative Ilhan Omar's hijab.[12]
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