On November 26, 2025, two National Guard soldiers were critically wounded in a shooting incident near Farragut West Metro station in downtown Washington, D.C. The suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a former Afghan Army serviceman, allegedly targeted the soldiers in an attack that unfolded just blocks from the White House.
The shooting occurred shortly before 2:15 p.m., with reports indicating that Lakanwal fired upon the soldiers without provocation. One guardsman was shot while standing feet away, and the other was hit while seeking cover. Lakanwal, 29, was brought to the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a program designed to resettle Afghans at risk after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"The suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth," President Trump said. "He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021, on those infamous flights that everybody was talking about. Nobody knew who was coming in."
A relative of Lakanwal informed NBC that he had served alongside U.S. Special Forces for a decade and had sustained injuries in the line of duty. Lakanwal was settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five sons. In 2024, Lakanwal reportedly applied for asylum, which was granted in April 2025.
President Trump, in remarks on Wednesday night, focused his criticism on the Biden administration's handling of the evacuation process. He described the suspect as "a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth," and condemned the 2021 evacuation flights for their lack of transparency and vetting. President Trump characterized the attack as "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror," and demanded a thorough review of all Afghan nationals who arrived in the U.S. during the Biden presidency.
Following the incident, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended all immigration processes for Afghan nationals as security and vetting protocols are reassessed. The department emphasized the protection and safety of the American people as its primary mission.
Graphic images from the scene depicted a soldier receiving medical attention from a Secret Service agent. One of the injured guardsmen, identified as Andrew Wolfe of Inwood, West Virginia, was airlifted from the National Mall and remains in critical condition. A handgun believed to be used in the attack was recovered by the police. Despite being shot and hospitalized, the suspect Lakanwal is reportedly not cooperating with investigators.
The FBI, led by Director Kash Patel, has taken charge of the investigation, classifying it as an assault on federal officers. The FBI is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, ATF, and DEA in the ongoing investigation.
Social media reactions to the shooting have been polarized, with some expressing support for the injured soldiers while others, notably certain Antifa and leftist groups on Bluesky, have controversially celebrated the ambush.
