Officials Say Afghan Resettlement Migrant Rahmanullah Lakanwal Carried Out Targeted Ambush on Guardsmen Near the White House
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Blocks from the White House, downtown D.C. turned into a full-blown warzone Wednesday afternoon after two members of the West Virginia National Guard were ambushed and shot while on patrol — an attack federal authorities are now investigating as a possible act of terrorism.
According to officials, the shooting went down around 2:15 p.m. near 17th & I Streets NW, right outside the Farragut West Metro Station. Witnesses say the guardsmen never saw it coming.
Federal and local law enforcement quickly swarmed the scene, taking the shooter into custody — but not before he was also shot during the exchange of gunfire and transported to the hospital.
SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS 29-YEAR-OLD AFGHAN NATIONAL RAHMANULLAH LAKANWAL
By Wednesday evening, law-enforcement sources confirmed the suspected gunman is 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who reportedly entered the United States in 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome resettlement program.
Sources tell national outlets that the attack is being handled as a possible terrorism case, though investigators say no official motive has been determined and the suspect has not been cooperating.
Video circulating among investigators reportedly shows the moment Lakanwal rounded a corner and opened fire “ambush-style,” targeting the two guardsmen as they performed their duties in the downtown security zone.
Another video, which is circulating amongst the public, shows the aftermath of the shooting.
Aftermath of the shooting in downtown dc. Guardsman or multiple reportedly shot. And maybe others
Video passed along from someone nearby pic.twitter.com/8Dp7fhMr2s
— Sam Stein (@samstein) November 26, 2025
The victims — whose names have not been released — were rushed to the hospital in critical condition, according to military officials.
D.C. ON HIGH ALERT: HUNDREDS MORE GUARDSMEN DEPLOYED
In the hours after the shooting, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the deployment of 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., raising the total number of guardsmen stationed in the capital to roughly 2,600.
The move follows months of heated debate over the Trump-ordered deployment of Guard troops earlier this year, which critics argue toes the line between national security and domestic overreach.
With shots fired less than a mile from the White House, federal buildings in the area were placed on temporary lockdown as law enforcement tightened security across the capital.
2 thoughts on “Afghan Resettlement Migrant Accused In Ambush That Left Two West Virginia National Guardsmen Shot in D.C.”
How will sending more National Guard troops to D.C. be of help?
Washington DC is a LARGE international city with MANY different cultures, languages, religions and customs all living amongst each other. Extra Federal security around the Federal governmental areas of DC might alleviate the Metro PD resources to protecting and effectively policing the more residential and industrial areas of the city until some kind of normalcy can return to our Nation’s Capital.