Washington
National Guardsmen shot in Washington DC: What happened, who’s the suspect?
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”.
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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…
— 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
An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.
Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.
Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.
Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.
Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.
An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
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Washington
Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education
Updated:
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today continued his statewide “Delivering for Maryland” tour with a series of engagements in Washington County, highlighting vital investments in local transportation infrastructure, manufacturing job growth, and early childhood education. The governor emphasized state contributions to modernize the Hagerstown Regional Airport, toured the state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail facility, and celebrated the opening of a new child care center in the South End of Hagerstown funded by the administration’s historic ENOUGH Initiative.
“From investing $1.5 million to update Hagerstown Regional Airport’s aging control tower to supporting 1,300 jobs at Hitachi Rail, the Moore-Miller administration is delivering for Hagerstown, Washington County, and Western Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Through our administration’s ENOUGH Initiative partnerships and investments, we’ve tripled child care capacity in the South End of Hagerstown — because no parents should be forced to pick between staying in the workforce or securing quality care for their kids.”
The governor began the day at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, touring the Air Traffic Control Tower and airport grounds. During the visit, Governor Moore highlighted the State’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2027 investment to complete the design for a critical replacement of the airport’s aging air traffic control facility. As a primary airport in the Maryland Aviation System Plan, the Hagerstown Regional Airport is a vital economic engine for Washington County, supporting more than 1,800 jobs and generating over $140 million in local business revenue.
Following the airport tour, Governor Moore visited the Hitachi Rail STS facility alongside Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Mike McKay, Senator Paul Corderman and state transportation leaders. The governor toured the factory floor and rode a test train to observe the manufacturing process. Opened in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million state conditional loan, the 307,000-square-foot, carbon-neutral facility is a $100 million capital investment by Hitachi. The factory supports 1,300 jobs — including 460 newly created jobs — and is actively manufacturing railcars for both the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
“Hitachi Rail has built a cutting-edge model for advanced manufacturing here in Western Maryland which is focused on delivering clean, safe, efficient regional transportation across our state and the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “This facility is powered by Maryland’s second-to-none workforce and world-class innovation environment. I’m proud to work with Governor Moore and our public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive global investment that supports jobs and economic growth along our I-270 Tech Corridor.”
Governor Moore concluded the day at the Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center in the South End of Hagerstown, where he met with parents, children, and community leaders. During the visit, the Governor highlighted the administration’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provided critical support for the center’s opening. The new facility is a major win for the community, tripling local childcare capacity with 24 new slots and generating six new early childhood education jobs.
The Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center’s opening was accelerated by a $100,000 investment from San Mar Family & Community Services, the ENOUGH grantee in Hagerstown. ENOUGH grant funding was also supplemented by a $100,000 philanthropic contribution from the Bainum Family Foundation — a member of the ENOUGH Alliance — to complete necessary facility upgrades. The center’s completion underscores the strength of the ENOUGH Initiative’s public-private partnerships to deliver on community priorities and work towards ending child poverty.
Governor Moore’s visit to Washington County follows the third stop of his “Delivering for Maryland” tour in Montgomery County, where he marked a historic milestone by installing the final segment of rail for the Purple Line. This installation completes the 16.2-mile light rail corridor connecting Bethesda and New Carrollton, with passenger service expected to begin in late 2027. The governor also visited Max’s Best Ice Cream in Bethesda, a local business dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Best Buddies Jobs program.
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A man charged with attacking the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is seeking to disqualify top justice department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.
The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, and US attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the 25 April event at the Washington Hilton hotel when Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer.
In a court filing late on Thursday, Allen’s attorneys argued that it created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case.
“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder – how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe wrote.
Ohm and Abe, who are assistant federal public defenders, suggested that the appointment of a special prosecutor might be warranted. They urged US district judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee assigned to Allen’s case, to disqualify Pirro, Blanche and possibly other justice department officials from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution.
“Both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants. They were quickly evacuated. Shortly thereafter, they learned that law enforcement believed the target was certain administration officials,” Ohm and Abe wrote.
Pirro said her office would respond to the defense lawyers’ arguments in its own court filing.
“We will not tolerate people who come to the District of Columbia to engage in antidemocratic acts of political violence; and we will prosecute all such acts to the fullest extent of the law,” Pirro said in a statement.
Allen is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on further charges in an indictment handed up Tuesday by a grand jury in Washington.
The charges include attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, who is a longtime friend of Pirro. Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump before joining the justice department last year. Blanche, through a spokesperson, referred a request for comment to Pirro’s office. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts.
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