Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically wounded after being shot near the White House. Officials have described the attack as a “targeted shooting”.

United States President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as a “heinous assault” and “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror”.

The shooting occurred just one day before the Thanksgiving holiday in a busy tourist area.

Here is what to know about the shooting, the alleged attacker, and what’s next:

What happened in Washington, DC?

Police say a lone suspect opened fire on a National Guard member at about 2:15pm local time (19:15 GMT).

The suspect, who was also shot during the confrontation, was taken to a hospital for treatment and remains under police custody.

“It appears to be a lone gunman who raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Jeffery Carroll, executive assistant chief, told reporters.

According to a CNN report, the suspect walked up to three National Guard members who appeared unaware of him until he opened fire. He shot one guard, then another, before standing over the first victim and appearing to attempt another shot. At that point, the third guardsman returned fire.

Trump was in Florida at the time of the incident.

Approximately 2,200 National Guard members have been deployed across the US capital, including 925 from the DC National Guard and more than 1,200 from other states.

What is the National Guard?

The National Guard is a reserve branch of the US military that can be called up during emergencies at home, such as natural disasters or civil unrest, and can also support missions overseas.

It consists of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard and has about 431,000 members, making it the second-largest military force in the country.

Each US state and territory, as well as Washington, DC, has its own National Guard units. These units answer both to state leaders and the federal government. This differs from the regular US military, whose active-duty members serve full-time under federal command.

Two soldiers wounded on Wednesday were members of West Virginia’s National Guard, Governor Patrick Morrisey said.

Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary halt to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, DC, ruling that the move was likely unlawful. Following the shooting, the Trump administration sought to have that decision overturned.

Where did the shooting take place?

The shooting took place in Farragut Square – a tourist-heavy area located near a busy transit centre and the White House.

Designed by Pierre L’Enfant in 1791, Farragut Square is a key spot in downtown Washington, DC.

The area, where lampposts are wrapped in wreaths and bows for the holiday season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a coffee shop, as well as two stops on the Washington metro system.

Who is the suspect?

Investigators have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Lakanwal arrived in the US from Afghanistan in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome – a programme launched under the Joe Biden administration to resettle Afghans after the Taliban regained control following the US withdrawal.

“I can report tonight that based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan – a hellhole on Earth,” Trump said in a video message.

The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration.

I will not utter this depraved individual’s name.…

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) November 27, 2025

What is Operation Allies Welcome?

Operation Allies Welcome was a US programme started in 2021 to help Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban took control. Many of these Afghans had worked with US troops as interpreters, drivers, or support staff and feared they could be targeted. Others, such as journalists and women’s rights activists, were also at risk.

Under the programme, tens of thousands of Afghans were transported to US military bases, where they underwent medical checks, received vaccinations, and completed immigration processing. They also underwent security screening before being relocated to communities across the country.

According to the Congressional Research Service, about 76,000 Afghans entered the US through the initiative, which lasted roughly a year. The programme later faced criticism from some Republicans who argued the vetting process was insufficient.

What’s next?

In response to the attack, Trump announced plans to expand deportation efforts and said his administration would re-examine Afghans who arrived after the Taliban takeover. “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan,” he said.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it is pausing the processing of all Afghan immigration requests “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”

Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that an additional 500 National Guard members, from a state yet to be named, would be sent to Washington, DC, to bolster security and reassure the public.

Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.

The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and…

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— USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025

What have been the reactions?

In his statement, Trump said he was “determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price”.

“We are not going to put up with these kinds of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn’t even be in our country,” he said.

President Trump delivers remarks on the horrific attack on the Great National Guard Warriors https://t.co/xDxRzJENU0

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 27, 2025

Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition that assists Afghans seeking to immigrate, said the organisation believes that the attacker should face “full accountability and prosecution”. But he warned that the incident should not be used to “demonise the Afghan community”.

Our statement regarding today’s horrific shooting.

Our hearts go out to the brave guardsmen attacked today.

We will not let the action of one deranged asshole be the excuse used to cause harm to an entire community of people. pic.twitter.com/LcMODaYEXD

— Shawn VanDiver (@shawnjvandiver) November 27, 2025

Former President Joe Biden said he and his wife, Jill, are “heartbroken” by the shooting.

“Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families,” Biden wrote on X.

Jill and I are heartbroken that two members of the National Guard were shot outside the White House. Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 26, 2025

Former US President Barack Obama  shared a post on social media condemning the attack, and saying, “Violence has no place in America.”

Violence has no place in America. Michelle and I are praying for the servicemembers shot in Washington, DC today, and send our love to their families as they enter this holiday season under the most tragic of circumstances.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 27, 2025

General Steven Nordhaus, the head of the National Guard, said he was returning to Washington, DC, from Guantanamo Bay, which he was visiting to spend Thanksgiving with US troops at the military base.

SEA Raines and I join our entire National Guard family in praying for the recovery of the two West Virginia National Guard heroes who were shot while protecting our Nation’s capital today. pic.twitter.com/iOj465v1Aa

— Gen. Steven Nordhaus (@ChiefNGB) November 26, 2025

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The No. 5 Oregon Ducks take on a fellow Big Ten foe when they visit the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.

If you are looking to find Ducks vs. Huskies tickets, information is available below.

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Oregon Ducks football schedule

• Week 1: Aug. 30 vs. Montana State Bobcats, 59-13 win
• Week 2: Sept. 6 vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys, 69-3 win
• Week 3: Sept. 13 at Northwestern Wildcats, 34-14 win
• Week 4: Sept. 20 vs. Oregon State Beavers, 41-7 win
• Week 5: Sept. 27 at Penn State Nittany Lions, 30-24 win
• Week 7: Oct. 11 vs. Indiana Hoosiers, 30-20 loss
• Week 8: Oct. 18 at Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 56-10 win
• Week 9: Oct. 25 vs. Wisconsin Badgers, 21-7 win
• Week 11: Nov. 8 at Iowa Hawkeyes, 18-16 win
• Week 12: Nov. 14 vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers, 42-13 win
• Week 13: Nov. 22 vs. USC Trojans, 42-27 win
• Week 14: Nov. 29 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Washington Huskies

• Oregon State will play its final game of the season against Washington State in the only official Pac-12 Conference game of the year.
• The Beavers previously defeated the Cougars 10-7 in a non-conference matchup earlier this season.
• Interim head coach Robb Akey views the game as a chance for OSU to become Pac-12 champions and end a tumultuous season on a high note.

Oregon State football has finally reached its final game of the season.

After a long, tumultuous few months, the Beavers (2-9) have the chance to finish on a high. OSU is travelling to Pullman, Wash., to take on Washington State (5-6) in the one, and only, official Pac-12 Conference game of the year.

“It’s the last time this group of people is ever going to be together again,” OSU interim head coach Robb Akey said. “That’s it.”

For numerous Beavers, Saturday’s contest against the Cougars will be the last college football game of their careers. For some, it’ll be their last in Oregon State uniforms and for others, they’ll be back next season.

But Akey said it’s valuable for these players to be able to close out their careers in the fashion they are. A rivalry game, a conference matchup against a team Oregon State’s already beaten this season.

“It gives us the opportunity to be Pac-12 champions,” Akey said. “That means a hell of a lot, in my opinion.”

A Pac-12 rematch

Oregon State hosted Washington State on Nov. 1 at Reser Stadium. The Beavers, at the time, had just rattled off their first win over FCS program Lafayette and were sitting at 1-7 through a bye week.

The Beavers came out on top in a low-scoring, dramatic affair, 10-7. It was Akey’s second win in as many games in charge and a high point of the Oregon State season.

It wasn’t technically classified as a Pac-12 contest, but rather just a typical regular-season matchup. Regardless, the win meant that OSU had pulled off two wins in a row for the first time in 2025. But those are the only two wins the team has garnered so far.

Having the opportunity to play, and beat, the Cougars again is exciting for Akey and the Beavers.

“It’s a cool situation that you get to go about. So we’ve tried to approach it as a cool situation,” Akey said. “You’ve got two teams that are going to know each other pretty well and two teams that fought their tails off against each other the last time they were together.”

WSU is 1-1 since the the earlier meeting. The Cougars beat Louisiana Tech, 28-3 at home, then travelled to Harrisonburg, Va., where they lost to a ranked James Madison squad, 24-20.

OSU is 0-2, with losses at home to Sam Houston (21-17) and at Tulsa (31-14).

On the season, Oregon State averages over 356 yards of offense to Washington State’s 308 yards. The Beavers outrank the Cougars in nearly all significant offensive statistic categories, especially in the run game.

Defensively, the script is almost completely flipped. Washington State gives up nearly 70 fewer yards per game, over eight points per game less, and are superior in nearly all significant categories.

It presents the opportunity for a fun, crazy contest, Akey said.

“They’ve got a good defense, they play well,” the coach said. “It’s got the makings to be a hell of a game.”

Two teams looking to end the season with a smile

Neither Oregon State nor Washington State has delivered the season it had expected back in August. Both teams have undergone one of the rockiest, unpredictable conference realignment transitions in the NCAA to remain with the Pac-12.

For Akey, some of the main takeaways from this season are off the field.

“Life deals you adversity, and you deal with it,” Akey said. “What I will take from this is these players. We’ve built some cool relationships with them and those are going to last forever.”

And for the players, it’s one last chance to enjoy this specific group’s company on the field together.

“It’s the last chance they’re going to get to play together,” Akey said. “They’ve spent a ton of time working … and it didn’t play out the way that everybody had hoped that it would.”

Since his inaugural press conference, Akey has has emphasized that he’s in Corvallis to help the Beavers have fun, smile and produce a season they can look back on and be proud of and enjoy. He said this week that he believes this is a great opportunity for that.

“They get one last chance to be able to compete together and to fight for one another,” Akey said. “That’s an unbelievable deal.”

Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at lbartlett@salem.gannett.com or on X or Instagram @bartlelo.