Authorities say two West Virginia National Guard members were critically injured Wednesday when a gunman opened fire just blocks from the White House.
The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the U.S. in 2021 and was granted asylum in April 2025. Officials are investigating possible ties to international terrorism, though no motive is confirmed.
FBI Director Kash Patel and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed the soldiers remain in critical condition. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey briefly and incorrectly reported they had died, later retracting the statement.
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as “an act of evil and terror,” saying it highlights major national security concerns. Law-enforcement sources confirmed Lakanwal was the one taken into custody; he was also shot but is expected to survive.
Police say it appeared to be a targeted ambush. The White House briefly went into lockdown as multiple federal agencies responded. Trump said the shooter will “pay a very steep price,” while officials including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed the motive remains unknown. The National Guard Bureau called it a “senseless act of violence.”