Shockwaves After National Guard Shooting Near the White House
A disturbing and emotional scene has unfolded in Washington, D.C., and it’s sparked a massive national conversation. Two National Guard members were shot near the Farragut West metro station, just a short distance from the White House, and the incident is now being investigated as a targeted attack. The guard members were left in critical condition, and the shock of what happened is still being felt across the country.
Law enforcement officials have identified the suspected shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program meant to assist Afghans who worked with American forces. According to reports, Lakanwal was granted asylum earlier this year. During the confrontation, he was also shot and taken into custody with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
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What makes this moment even more intense is the political firestorm that followed almost immediately. President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as “an act of terror,” and within hours he announced that the U.S. should re-examine every Afghan refugee who arrived during the previous administration. He argued that the attack highlighted what he called failures in the vetting process, even though the formal vetting efforts carried out by U.S. military and intelligence agencies were not acknowledged in his remarks.
Following his statement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it had halted all Afghan-related immigration processing indefinitely. For many Afghan families who fled the Taliban and worked alongside American troops, this sparked fear and confusion. Advocacy groups, including AfghanEvac, publicly urged the country not to judge an entire community based on the actions of one individual.
Eyewitnesses described the attack as sudden and deliberate. Officials said the suspect “came around the corner” and immediately opened fire on the two Guard members. Videos from bystanders showed police and National Guard personnel subduing the suspect and attempting lifesaving measures on one of the victims.
This shooting also reignited the ongoing debate over the National Guard’s visible presence in Washington. Thousands of Guard members have been patrolling the city since the administration declared a “crime emergency” earlier this year. Federal courts have already questioned the legality of this deployment, and an order to halt it is expected to take effect soon—though the administration is appealing and has asked for an additional 500 Guard members to be sent following the shooting.
As investigators work through the holiday to determine the motive behind the attack, the nation is left navigating grief, anger, political tension, and a wave of questions. Regardless of the outcome, the tragedy has cast a heavy shadow over Thanksgiving week, reminding Americans once again of the fragile line between safety, policy, and the deeply human stories caught in the middle.
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