Two members of the West Virginia National Guard remain critically wounded after a daylight ambush near the Farragut West station metro stop — just blocks from the White House — and law-enforcement officials have now named the suspect as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
Lakanwal reportedly came to the United States on September 8, 2021, under the Operation Allies Welcome program following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Authorities say he had been residing in Washington state prior to the shooting.
According to police, the attack was sudden and brazen. At approximately 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Lakanwal “came around the corner, raised a firearm and opened fire” on two Guard members — who were on high-visibility patrol — outside the metro station. One of the troops returned fire, and a third Guard member helped subdue the suspect moments later.
Responding officers transported Lakanwal to a local hospital after he was shot multiple times. He is in custody and currently hospitalized; sources say he is not cooperating with investigators.
As for the victims, both National Guard members — a man and a woman — remain in critical condition, according to officials. Earlier reports mistakenly announced their deaths, but those have since been retracted amid conflicting medical updates.
Federal investigators, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security, local police and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), say they’re examining the shooting as a possible act of terrorism. But so far, they stress there is no verified link to a broader coordinated threat.
The incident has reignited debate over the ongoing deployment of National Guard troops in Washington and other cities — a controversial measure ordered earlier this year by the Donald J. Trump administration to address rising crime.
Investigators continue to pore over surveillance footage, witness accounts and scene audio, urging anyone with information to come forward. More details are expected to emerge as the probe progresses — but the two injured service members and the city of Washington remain under a sombre cloud of uncertainty.
