2 U.S. National Guard members shot near White House, suspect in custody

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

The suspect in the shooting of two U.S. National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday has been identified as an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021, U.S. media reported.

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been living in Washington state, NBC News reported, citing senior law enforcement sources.

Authorities are still working to confirm all the details surrounding the individual who is now in custody, said the report.

The attack took place at around 14:15 local time (19:15 GMT) near the Farragut Square Metro Station, said a statement from Joint Task Force D.C., which oversees the National Guard deployments to Washington.

In a social media post, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the two guardsmen, both of whom are "critically wounded," are in two separate hospitals, and that the gunman was also severely wounded.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey confirmed in a post on X that the injured were from the West Virginia National Guard.

When the incident happened, Trump was at his resort in Palm Beach ahead of Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance was in Kentucky, said a Reuters report.

"The White House is aware and actively monitoring this tragic situation. The President has been briefed," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Following the shooting, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that Trump asked him to send 500 more National Guard members to Washington.

In August, Trump placed the police department in Washington under direct federal control and deployed the National Guard to the nation's capital.

More than 2,000 National Guard soldiers are currently on duty in Washington, according to multiple media reports.