Washington, D.C. — A quiet midweek afternoon in the nation’s capital fractured into panic on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire on two National Guard soldiers patrolling just blocks from the White House, critically injuring both and triggering a massive law-enforcement response.

Federal officials later identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan man who arrived in the United States in 2021 under a special evacuation program for wartime allies.

Authorities say the shooting occurred shortly after 2:15 p.m. near the intersection of 17th and I Streets NW, a busy area frequented by office workers and tourists. The two victims, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were part of the Trump administration’s controversial “high-visibility patrols” deployed across Washington in recent months.

A Sudden Attack Near the Seat of Power

Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators shows a man rounding a street corner, raising a handgun, and firing multiple rounds at the soldiers at close range. Witnesses described a brief but intense exchange of gunfire as additional Guard personnel rushed toward the scene.

Videos posted online showed first responders performing CPR on one soldier as the other lay bleeding nearby. Officers could be seen restraining the wounded suspect on the pavement while shouting for medical equipment. Within minutes, the area around the White House and Treasury Department went into precautionary lockdown.

Both soldiers were transported to separate trauma centers and remain in critical condition. Officials said the suspect suffered gunshot injuries during the confrontation but is expected to survive.

Suspect Entered U.S. Through Afghan Evacuation Program

By evening, federal authorities revealed the gunman’s identity: Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. According to relatives interviewed by media outlets, Lakanwal had served roughly a decade in the Afghan army — including at a Kandahar base where he reportedly worked alongside U.S. Special Forces — before being evacuated under Operation Allies Welcome.

He later settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children, and had been employed at an Amazon warehouse. Homeland Security officials confirmed Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and received approval this year. The agency said he had no prior criminal history.

Investigators have not disclosed a motive, and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is now leading a sweeping review of Lakanwal’s digital activity, finances, and any potential ideological ties. “We’re not ruling anything out at this stage,” one federal official said.

Confusion and Political Sparks

Initial reporting on the victims’ condition created widespread confusion when West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey prematurely announced on social media that both Guardsmen had died. Within minutes, he retracted the statement, citing “conflicting information.” Federal officials later confirmed the soldiers were alive but gravely wounded.

President Donald Trump, who was in Florida at the time, responded swiftly. In a recorded video released Wednesday night, he condemned the shooting as “an act of evil” and “an act of terror,” emphasizing that the gunman entered the U.S. during the 2021 Afghan evacuation. He vowed the suspect would face “the steepest consequences imaginable.”

The president also announced the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington — intensifying a standoff with courts that have recently ruled aspects of his deployment plan unlawful.

Immediate Fallout: Afghan Cases Frozen Nationwide

Hours after Trump’s remarks, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a sweeping directive: all immigration cases involving Afghan nationals would be suspended indefinitely pending a review of vetting procedures. The halt affects tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees whose applications for asylum, green cards, or humanitarian parole are in limbo.

Advocacy groups quickly warned that the shooting risked being used to scapegoat an entire community of wartime allies who had undergone extensive background checks. “This individual’s actions cannot be projected onto thousands of Afghans who risked their lives to help U.S. forces,” one resettlement official said.

A City — and a Country — Waiting for Answers

As investigators continue to piece together Lakanwal’s path from Afghan soldier to American asylee to alleged gunman, many questions remain unanswered. Officials have not identified any extremist affiliations, nor have they suggested the attack was coordinated. It remains unclear how Lakanwal acquired the handgun used in the shooting.

For now, Washington remains on edge. Streets near the White House have reopened, but a sense of unease lingers as two National Guardsmen fight for their lives — and as federal agencies brace for the political, legal, and humanitarian storm the attack has unleashed.

The investigation is ongoing.