Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically wounded after being shot near the White House. Officials have described the attack as a \u201ctargeted shooting\u201d.<\/p>\n
United States President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as a \u201cheinous assault\u201d and \u201can act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror\u201d.<\/p>\n list of 1 item<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n The shooting occurred just one day before the Thanksgiving holiday in a busy tourist area.<\/p>\n Here is what to know about the shooting, the alleged attacker, and what\u2019s next:<\/p>\n Police say a lone suspect opened fire on a National Guard member at about 2:15pm local time (19:15 GMT).<\/p>\n The suspect, who was also shot during the confrontation, was taken to a hospital for treatment and remains under police custody.<\/p>\n \u201cIt appears to be a lone gunman who raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,\u201d Jeffery Carroll, executive assistant chief, told reporters.<\/p>\n According to a CNN report, the suspect walked up to three National Guard members who appeared unaware of him until he opened fire. He shot one guard, then another, before standing over the first victim and appearing to attempt another shot. At that point, the third guardsman returned fire.<\/p>\n Trump was in Florida at the time of the incident.<\/p>\n Approximately 2,200 National Guard members have been deployed across the US capital, including 925 from the DC National Guard and more than 1,200 from other states.<\/p>\n The National Guard is a reserve branch of the US military that can be called up during emergencies at home, such as natural disasters or civil unrest, and can also support missions overseas.<\/p>\n It consists of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard and has about 431,000 members, making it the second-largest military force in the country.<\/p>\n Each US state and territory, as well as Washington, DC, has its own National Guard units. These units answer both to state leaders and the federal government. This differs from the regular US military, whose active-duty members serve full-time under federal command.<\/p>\n Two soldiers wounded on Wednesday were members of West Virginia\u2019s National Guard, Governor Patrick Morrisey said.<\/p>\n Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary halt to Trump\u2019s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, DC, ruling that the move was likely unlawful. Following the shooting, the Trump administration sought to have that decision overturned.<\/p>\n The shooting took place in Farragut Square \u2013 a tourist-heavy area located near a busy transit centre and the White House.<\/p>\n Designed by Pierre L\u2019Enfant in 1791, Farragut Square is a key spot in downtown Washington, DC.<\/p>\n The area, where lampposts are wrapped in wreaths and bows for the holiday season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a coffee shop, as well as two stops on the Washington metro system.<\/p>\n Investigators have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.<\/p>\n Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Lakanwal arrived in the US from Afghanistan in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome \u2013 a programme launched under the Joe Biden administration to resettle Afghans after the Taliban regained control following the US withdrawal.<\/p>\n \u201cI can report tonight that based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan \u2013 a hellhole on Earth,\u201d Trump said in a video message.<\/p>\n The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration. <\/p>\n I will not utter this depraved individual\u2019s name.\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) November 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Operation Allies Welcome was a US programme started in 2021 to help Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban took control. Many of these Afghans had worked with US troops as interpreters, drivers, or support staff and feared they could be targeted. Others, such as journalists and women\u2019s rights activists, were also at risk.<\/p>\n Under the programme, tens of thousands of Afghans were transported to US military bases, where they underwent medical checks, received vaccinations, and completed immigration processing. They also underwent security screening before being relocated to communities across the country.<\/p>\n According to the Congressional Research Service, about 76,000 Afghans entered the US through the initiative, which lasted roughly a year. The programme later faced criticism from some Republicans who argued the vetting process was insufficient.<\/p>\n In response to the attack, Trump announced plans to expand deportation efforts and said his administration would re-examine Afghans who arrived after the Taliban takeover. \u201cWe must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it is pausing the processing of all Afghan immigration requests \u201cpending further review of security and vetting protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that an additional 500 National Guard members, from a state yet to be named, would be sent to Washington, DC, to bolster security and reassure the public.<\/p>\n Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols. <\/p>\n The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In his statement, Trump said he was \u201cdetermined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not going to put up with these kinds of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn\u2019t even be in our country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n President Trump delivers remarks on the horrific attack on the Great National Guard Warriors <\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition that assists Afghans seeking to immigrate, said the organisation believes that the attacker should face \u201cfull accountability and prosecution\u201d. But he warned that the incident should not be used to \u201cdemonise the Afghan community\u201d.<\/p>\n Our statement regarding today\u2019s horrific shooting. <\/p>\n Our hearts go out to the brave guardsmen attacked today. <\/p>\n We will not let the action of one deranged asshole be the excuse used to cause harm to an entire community of people. pic.twitter.com\/LcMODaYEXD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Shawn VanDiver (@shawnjvandiver) November 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Former President Joe Biden said he and his wife, Jill, are \u201cheartbroken\u201d by the shooting.<\/p>\n \u201cViolence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families,\u201d Biden wrote on X.<\/p>\n Jill and I are heartbroken that two members of the National Guard were shot outside the White House. Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families.<\/p>\n \u2014 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Former US President Barack Obama \u00a0shared a post on social media condemning the attack, and saying, \u201cViolence has no place in America.\u201d<\/p>\n Violence has no place in America. Michelle and I are praying for the servicemembers shot in Washington, DC today, and send our love to their families as they enter this holiday season under the most tragic of circumstances.<\/p>\n \u2014 Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n General Steven Nordhaus, the head of the National Guard, said he was returning to Washington, DC, from Guantanamo Bay, which he was visiting to spend Thanksgiving with US troops at the military base.<\/p>\n SEA Raines and I join our entire National Guard family in praying for the recovery of the two West Virginia National Guard heroes who were shot while protecting our Nation’s capital today. pic.twitter.com\/iOj465v1Aa<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gen. Steven Nordhaus (@ChiefNGB) November 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
What happened in Washington, DC?<\/h2>\n
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What is the National Guard?<\/h2>\n
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Where did the shooting take place?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Who is the suspect?<\/h2>\n
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What is Operation Allies Welcome?<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s next?<\/h2>\n
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What have been the reactions?<\/h2>\n
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