National Guard Shooting Near White House Probed as Terror Attack, Afghan Asylum Seeker in Custody

FBI Director Kash Patel says the two West Virginia National Guard members shot just blocks from the White House remain in critical condition, and that the attack is being handled at the federal level as both an act of terrorism and an assault on federal law enforcement officers.

Authorities have identified the wounded soldiers as Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Spc. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both recently sworn into the West Virginia National Guard and deployed to Washington as part of a controversial federal security mission.

What Happened in Downtown Washington

The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. on November 26 near Farragut Square, close to the Farragut West Metro station, roughly two blocks northwest of the White House. 

According to witnesses and investigators’ early findings, the two Guard members were on foot in a small group when a man approached them and abruptly opened fire at close range in what officials describe as an “ambush-style” and “targeted” attack. One soldier was hit at point-blank range; the second was shot while trying to take cover behind a bus shelter.

Other Guard troops and law enforcement officers in the vicinity responded within seconds. After an exchange of gunfire, the suspect was shot, disarmed, and tackled to the ground by nearby personnel. All three — the two soldiers and the gunman — were rushed to area hospitals. Officials say the suspect’s injuries are serious but not believed to be life-threatening. 

The incident triggered a brief lockdown of nearby federal buildings and security alerts at the White House, with streets around the square sealed off as armored Secret Service teams, Metropolitan Police, and Guard units flooded the area. 

Who Is the Suspect?

The alleged gunman has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.

According to federal officials and media reports:

• Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program for Afghans who had worked with U.S. and coalition forces.

• He was granted asylum in April 2025, after a lengthy vetting process.

• He previously worked alongside U.S. troops and intelligence partners in Afghanistan, including assignments that brought him into contact with American forces.

Investigators say Lakanwal drove across the country before the attack, traveling from the Pacific Northwest to Washington, D.C., and had been in the city only a short time before the shooting.

The weapon recovered at the scene has been described in investigative documents as a .357 Magnum revolver, with authorities saying 10–15 shots may have been fired.

So far, officials say there is no evidence of additional attackers, and the working assumption is that Lakanwal acted alone.

Why the FBI Calls It Terrorism and a Federal Assault

At a press conference alongside Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, FBI Director Kash Patel said the Bureau is treating the shooting as an act of terrorism and as an assault on federal law enforcement officers, given that the Guardsmen were operating under federal orders in support of law-enforcement missions. 

Patel confirmed that:

• The FBI’s Washington Field Office is leading the probe, supported by the Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, and local police.

• The investigation is focused on whether the suspect was motivated by ideology, foreign influence, or personal grievances — or some combination of all three.

Federal prosecutors have not yet announced formal charges, but officials say Lakanwal is expected to face a battery of federal counts, likely including at least:

• Attempted murder,

• Terrorism-related charges, and

• Assault on federal officers with a deadly weapon,
  alongside firearms offenses. (The exact charging document has not yet been made public.)

Raids, Digital Forensics, and the Hunt for a Motive

Overnight, FBI agents executed search warrants on properties linked to Lakanwal in Washington state and San Diego, California, seizing phones, computers, storage drives, and documents. Investigators are now examining his online activity — including social media accounts, messaging applications, and any possible contact with extremist networks — along with his travel patterns and financial records leading up to the cross-country drive. They are also scrutinizing whether he attempted to reconnect with former contacts from his time working with U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan.

So far, officials say they have found no clear manifesto or public claim of responsibility, but they are not ruling out extremist or anti-government motives. Patel emphasized that the suspect’s motive remains “under active investigation.”

Federal and Political Response

In a video message from Florida, President Donald Trump condemned the attack as “an act of evil, an act of hatred, and an act of terror”, vowing that the suspect would “pay a very steep price.” 

Trump ordered an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., on top of the roughly 2,300 already deployed in the capital under his declared “crime emergency” and immigration enforcement push in Democratic-led cities. 

At the same time, the administration announced:

• An immediate halt to the processing of Afghan immigration and asylum applications, pending a new security review.

• A broader re-examination of Operation Allies Welcome and other Afghan resettlement programs, despite the fact that Lakanwal’s asylum was formally approved this year under Trump’s own administration.

The move has triggered fresh debate in Washington, with critics warning that hundreds of thousands of Afghan allies could now face indefinite limbo due to the actions of a single individual. 

Tension Over Immigration and Security

The attack has quickly become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate over immigration, refugee vetting, and the treatment of Afghan partners. Supporters of the administration’s hard line argue that the case exposes dangerous gaps in background checks and intelligence sharing about arrivals from conflict zones, pointing to the suspect’s prior work in Afghanistan and his cross-country travel before the shooting.

Civil liberties and refugee advocates counter that Lakanwal underwent multiple layers of vetting before entering the United States, and that there is no evidence so far linking him to a broader cell. They warn that the administration’s sweeping suspension of Afghan asylum and immigration cases risks punishing tens of thousands of law-abiding evacuees and their families for the actions of a single individual.

Condition of the Soldiers and Next Steps

Doctors say both Beckstrom and Wolfe have undergone emergency surgery for severe gunshot wounds and remain on life support. Officials say the next 24–48 hours will be critical. Their families have arrived in Washington, and the West Virginia governor’s office has asked the public to pray for their recovery. 

Early reports from state officials briefly suggested the two soldiers had died; those statements were later corrected, and federal authorities now consistently describe their condition as critical and unstable, but alive. 

The FBI says the crime scene around 17th and I Streets NW will remain sealed off for a detailed forensic sweep, including ballistics analysis, trajectory mapping, and review of extensive surveillance footage from nearby buildings and transit cameras.

Director Patel has promised regular public updates, but warned that understanding the suspect’s full motive and potential contacts “may take time” as investigators comb through digital evidence from multiple states.