FBI Director Kash Patel held a press conference on Thursday (November 27) following an incident in which a man, identified as an Afghan national, allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers near the White House. Patel announced that the case is under investigation as an act of terrorism. He confirmed that multiple search warrants have been executed in the case, including at the suspect’s last known residence. Patel also stated he received confirmation that the suspect had a relationship with partner forces.
The suspect has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national from Washington State. According to two Trump administration officials, Lakanwal drove across the country from Washington state before the attack.
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told Fox News that “The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the US government, including CIA.”
In response to the shooting, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it had stopped processing residency applications from Afghan nationals.
“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the agency said on social media.
The two wounded soldiers were identified as Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, both members of the West Virginia National Guard. They were conducting a “high-visibility patrol” near the corner of 17th and I streets when the suspect “came around the corner” and “ambushed” them, Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll stated. Following an exchange of gunfire, other National Guard troops subdued the shooter. Both soldiers remained in critical condition after undergoing surgery.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro reported that the gunman fired without provocation using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. She noted that charges could be escalated if either of the injured National Guard members does not survive.
President Donald Trump, who was at his Florida resort during the incident, issued a pre-recorded video statement condemning the shooting as “an act of evil, an act of hate, and an act of terror”. He announced that his administration would “reassess” the status of all Afghans who arrived in the U.S. during Joe Biden’s term.
Following the shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Trump had ordered the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard personnel to supplement the over 2,000 already stationed in the capital.
‘Don’t stigmatize Afghans after shooting’: UN official
Amid the investigation, a UN official told AFP that the shooting should not prompt President Donald Trump’s administration to review its immigration policy towards Afghans.
“It’s a heinous crime what this person is being accused of, and if it is true, which seems to be the case, then certainly we condemn it,” said Arafat Jamal, head of the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) in Kabul.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser characterized the incident as a “targeted attack,” while officials indicated the shooter appeared to have acted alone.
-
-
-
-
