Washington, DC shooting : What to know about suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal accused after 2 National Guardsmen shot near White House
Two National Guardsmen were ambushed in what the mayor has called an apparent targeted shooting near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, leaving them in critical condition.
The suspected gunman has been identified by law enforcement as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
Lakanwal is believed to be from Afghanistan and came to the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, the sources said. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, according to three law enforcement sources.
Sources said that the FBI is currently investigating the shooting as a potential act of international terrorism, suggesting authorities are trying to determine if it may have been inspired by an international terrorist organization.
In an address on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump confirmed that the suspected gunman is believed to have entered the U.S. from Afghanistan.
"It was a crime against our entire nation," he said. "It was a crime against humanity," Trump added.
Officials said that after "some back and forth" with the guardsmen following the initial shooting, they were "able to subdue the individual and bring them into custody." The suspect was then transported to an area hospital after the shooting.
The Guard members, a woman and a man deployed from West Virginia, were conducting "high visibility patrols" at the time of the attack, according to law enforcement officials.
They are also being treated at area hospitals and are in critical condition, officials said. The condition of the suspect has not been released.
Shots rang out at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday when the suspect approached the entrance to the Farragut West Metro station, "raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard," Assistant Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Jeffery Carroll said during a press briefing.
"The suspect came around the corner and immediately began firing at guard members," Carroll said.
A motive has not immediately been determined, however, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the individual "appeared to target" the Guard members.
"What we know is that this is a targeted shooting and one individual appeared to target these guardsmen," according to Bowser.
FBI Director Kash Patel said that the guardsmen are in critical condition, walking back prior information from the Governor of West Virginia, who said they had died.
Patel said the case is being carried out as an attack on a federal law enforcement officer, adding that the guardsmen are "heroes."
The National Guard was deployed to the nation's capital as part of President Trump's federal takeover of the city in August . According to the most recent update, there are 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
