2 National Guard Members Shot in DC, Afghan Arrested

The gunman who shot two National Guard troops in a possible terror attack near the White House Wednesday has been identified as a 29-year-old Afghan national who came to the US during the chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal was allegedly lying in wait before he rounded the corner near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest DC around 2:15 p.m., then opened fire, striking a female guard in the chest before shooting her in the head, according to law enforcement sources.

Lakanwal, who entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome and resettled in Bellingham, Washington, then allegedly fired at and struck the second guard — until a third guard stationed nearby rushed to the area and took him down, the sources said.

The two armed soldiers, who were patrolling the streets when the suspect launched his rampage, were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, authorities said.

The suspect, who was reportedly shot four times, was hauled away nearly naked in an ambulance and acted alone.

Police have not revealed a motive for the attack.

Law enforcement sources said the FBI is initially treating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters Wednesday afternoon it was a “targeted shooting” in which one individual “appeared to target these guardsmen.”

The shooting, described as an “ambush,” erupted near Farragut Square in Northwest DC, a bustling area filled with retail stores and restaurants.

Both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not in DC at the time of the shooting, with Trump in Florida and Vance visiting troops in Kentucky.

Trump has since ordered 500 additional National Guards troops be sent to Washington, DC.

“We will never back down. We will secure our capital. We will secure our cities,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday. “President Trump has asked me, and I will ask the Secretary of the Army to the National Guard to add 500 additional troops, National Guardsmen to Washington DC.”

“This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington DC safe and beautiful.

The drop in crime has been historic. The increase in safety and security has been historic.”

There were approximately 2,100 National Guard troops assigned to DC, including about 900 from the DC National Guard and roughly 1,200 from other states, a Pentagon official told The Post.

Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to withdraw the National Guard from DC, but paused that order from going into effect until Dec. 11 to give time for an appeal.

Roughly 90,000 Afghans were allowed entry into the US and became eligible for Special immigrant Visas under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) and Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) programs, which provided the foreign nationals immigration processing and resettlement support.

In June, US officials identified 55 Afghan evacuees on the terrorist watchlist who had immigrated from the Middle Eastern country during the botched operation, according to a Justice Department inspector general report.

The report found the Biden Administration failed to properly vet US-bound refugees as the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan.

After investigations, the FBI eventually removed 46 evacuees from the watchlist, determining that they posed no threat to the homeland.

However, nine remained in the terror database as of July 2024 and eight were in the US.

Evacuees, including Afghan allies, their families and other vulnerable groups, were either placed with relatives in the US or temporarily sheltered in military “Safe Havens” until they were resettled.

Bellingham, where the suspect lived, was among the Washington cities targeted for Afghan refugees under OAW, with some 800 resettled in 2022, according to the Immigrant & Refugee Health Alliance.

Others were placed in Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima, and Spokane.

Lakanwal overstayed the Special Immigration Visa he was granted under the Biden Administration plan and was living in the country illegally when he allegedly unleashed his violent attack, sources said.

His visa reportedly expired in September, FOX News reported, citing federal law enforcement sources.

It is unclear how long the visas were valid.