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Afghan suspect in DC shooting ‘radicalized in US’ says Homeland Security’s Noem

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Afghan suspect in DC shooting ‘radicalized in US’ says Homeland Security’s Noem


Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the Afghan suspect behind the shooting of two National Guard soldiers — one dead — in Washington D.C. last week was likely “radicalized since he’s been here in this country.”

Noem shared this conclusion made by law enforcement on Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” and on ABC News’ “This Week.”

“We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him,” Noem said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, came to the U.S. in August 2021 as part of Operation Allies Welcome, which coincided with the U.S. military forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration. Lakanwal was a member of a CIA-trained strike force, which required stringent vetting for him to be a part of. He was granted asylum under the Trump administration in April this year.

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Noem, echoing other accusations made by Trump officials, blamed the Biden administration of not properly vetting Lakanwal as well as tens of thousands of other Afghans airlifted out of Afghanistan.

However, “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker stated that Lakanwal was granted asylum by the Trump administration and explicitly asked Noem if the Trump administration vetted him before giving him the seal of approval. Noem then shared that was supposed to be done prior to Lakanwal being brought to the United States.

“The vetting process happens when the person comes into the country, and Joe Biden completely did not vet any of these individuals,” Noem said.

“This individual waited until he got into the United States and then that application for asylum was opened under the Joe Biden administration, when he was the president in the White House and allowed that to go forward with the information that they provided. That’s the Biden administration’s responsibility.”

Noem also shared that President Donald Trump has created a new screening process to vet asylum seekers.

“The individuals who are here in this country on that program need to be vetted under our standards that we’re implementing under President Trump to ensure that they even should be in our country and, if they’re not, removed immediately,” Noem said.

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Last week, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shared on X that “USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

Noem said that the asylum process will resume once the backlog of asylum cases requiring vetting is cleared.



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DC Navy Yard shooting: What happened in Washington? ‘Targeted attack’ feared as scary visuals emerge

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DC Navy Yard shooting: What happened in Washington? ‘Targeted attack’ feared as scary visuals emerge


A shooting reportedly took place in Washington DC’s Navy Yard on Thursday, and visuals from the scene were shared online. Independent journalist Nick Sortor shared a clip saying “Heavily armed US Capitol Police officers are RACING to a reported shooting in the vicinity of a high-ranking US government official in Washington, DC’s Navy Yard.”

Heavy police presence was reported in DC’s Navy Yard after a shooting. Image for representational purposes. (Unsplash)

Sortor noted that US Capitol Police were rushing to the scene. He noted that the black SUV seen in the clip was an armored Chevrolet Suburban which was used by members of the Congress and members of the President’s cabinet. Sortor further reported that it was ‘unclear’ if the attack was targeted.

The alleged shooter is reportedly not in custody yet and police are searching the area. “I personally witnessed that official be EXTRACTED via undercover Capitol Police officers, protected by uniformed officers carrying long rifles. I will not name the official without their express permission, as I don’t want to dox their home. Other officers can be seen sweeping the area for evidence like shell casings,” Sortor further said.

Also Read | Towson University: Shooting reports on campus in Maryland spark fears; first details

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The DC Police Department and the US Capitol Police are yet to comment on the matter.

Navy Yard shooting: Reactions and fears

Several people wondered about the politicians who live in the Navy Yard neighborhood. Grok, the AI chatbot, helped out, saying “Publicly reported ones include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—she’s been living in a Navy Yard apartment for years. The area’s also drawn younger congressional staffers and some Trump admin folks in the past for the modern housing near the river. Can’t list “all” though—most officials’ exact homes aren’t public for obvious security reasons.”

It added “No, no current Trump cabinet members are publicly reported as living in DC’s Navy Yard neighborhood. Several senior officials (SecState Marco Rubio, SecDef Pete Hegseth, AG Pam Bondi, ex-DHS Sec Kristi Noem) have moved into secure military housing at Fort McNair or Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling for safety. Noem previously rented in Navy Yard but relocated. Exact private residences aren’t public record.”

To be sure, the name of the official has not been released yet, so Grok’s answers are only guesses based on public record or past information. One wild claim was made on X that the shooting ‘targeted Donald Trump’. However, this came from an unverified profile and no corroboration was provided. President Trump is not publicly known to be in the Navy Yard area, rather remaining in the White House when he is in Washington.

The news of the DC Navy Yard shooting comes days after a takeover by a teen mob. The unruly incident saw four teenagers charged with disorderly conduct, reports on April 12 noted.

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Federal agency approves concept for Trump’s plan for a Triumphal Arch in Washington

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Federal agency approves concept for Trump’s plan for a Triumphal Arch in Washington


President Donald Trump’s design for the Triumphal Arch he wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital moved a step forward Thursday after a key agency reviewed the proposal for the first time. One commissioner suggested changes, including losing the Lady Liberty-like statue and pair of eagles that would sit on top of the arch and add to its height.

The arch is one of several projects that the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his lasting imprint on Washington.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts voted to approve the concept design for the arch. Its members, all appointed by Trump, will review an updated design before taking a final vote at a future meeting.

Trump said last week on social media that the arch “will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World” and a “wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!”

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President Trump proposed the installation of a large arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge, on the D.C.-Virginia border. “Something’s supposed to be here,” he said he’s been told. News4’s Joseph Olmo reports.

The commission also approved design concepts for two other projects: Trump’s plan to paint the gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is next to the White House, white, and construction of an underground center to conduct security screenings of tourists and other guests. It will review updated designs for both at a future meeting.

Triumphal Arch

The arch would stand 250 feet tall (76 meters) from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure atop the structure. That figure would be flanked up top by two eagles and guarded at the base by four lions — all gilded. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument.

The commission’s vice chairman, architect James McCrery II, said he preferred the arch without the figure and eagles on top. McCrery also objected to the lions on the base.

The arch would be built on a human-made island managed by the National Park Service on the Virginia side of the Potomac River at the end of Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet (30 meters) tall, and be close to half the height of the Washington Monument, an obelisk that is about 555 feet (169 meters) tall.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the arch’s 250-foot height will honor America’s 250 years of existence.

A group of veterans and a historian has sued in federal court to block construction on the grounds that the arch would disrupt the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among other reasons.

Underground screening center for White House visitors

The U.S. Secret Service, Interior Department, National Park Service, and the Executive Office of the President want to start construction in August on a 33,000-square-foot (3,066-square-meter) center to screen tourists and other visitors to the White House.

It would be built beneath Sherman Park, federal land southwest of the White House, to provide a more secure place to screen those going on White House tours or attending events. The new facility would have seven lanes to ease processing and reduce wait times.

Officials want it operating by July 2028, six months before Trump’s term ends.

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Eisenhower Executive Office Building paint job

Trump said the Executive Office Building is beautiful, but he does not like its gray exterior.

“It’s one of the most beautiful buildings anywhere in Washington,” Trump said in August. “I think it’s just incredible, but you have to get past the color because the stone they used was a really bad color.”

Two proposals were given to the commission: Cover the entire building in bright white or paint most of it white while leaving untouched the granite on the exposed basement and subbasement.

In written materials, the White House said the building has been largely neglected since its construction. It said the building’s color, design and massing do not “align visually with the surrounding architecture” and lack ”any symbolic cohesion with the White House.”

The paint job is also the subject of litigation in federal court.

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The building sits across a driveway from the West Wing. It was completed in 1888 after 17 years of construction, and its granite, slate, and cast iron exterior makes it one of America’s best examples of the French Second Empire style of architecture.

It originally housed the departments of State, War and Navy. It currently houses offices for the vice president and the National Security Council, among others.

The building is a National Historic Landmark and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



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Person hit by 3 people on scooters at Washington Monument after discussion over marijuana

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Person hit by 3 people on scooters at Washington Monument after discussion over marijuana


A person was struck by three others on scooters near the Washington Monument on Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Park Police.

Officials said the person was on a walk when they confronted the trio for smoking marijuana near the monument. Shortly after, the three people struck the victim from behind with their scooters.

The victim received minor cuts but turned down medical treatment, officials said.

Officials said a search for the victims is ongoing. Smoking or possessing marijuana on federal land, like the National Mall, is not allowed according to federal law.

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