A shocking shooting near the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon has left three people injured, including two members of the National Guard, sparking widespread alarm in the city. The incident occurred at around 2:30 pm local time on a street a short distance from the presidential residence. Emergency responders immediately arrived, transporting the injured National Guard soldiers to separate hospitals. Authorities quickly sealed off the area, deployed heavily armed officers across multiple blocks, and blocked roads to contain the situation. The FBI, in coordination with local law enforcement, has launched a full-scale investigation, although officials have yet to confirm the motive behind the attack.
Police later described the attack as a “targeted shooting,” reporting that a lone suspect opened fire on two National Guard soldiers from West Virginia. Nearby National Guard personnel responded to the gunfire, subduing the attacker before law enforcement arrived. Metropolitan Police officials stated the soldiers had been ambushed while on a high-visibility patrol near Farragut Square, a busy area frequented by office workers during lunch hours. Glass from nearby bus stops was shattered, and multiple police vehicles, ambulances, and armed officers flooded the scene in response to the crisis.
US authorities identified the alleged gunman as Rahmanullah Lakamal, an Afghan national who reportedly entered the United States in September 2021 under special immigration protections following the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. President Donald Trump, who was at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida during the attack, condemned the act as “evil, an act of hatred and terror” and vowed that the suspect would “pay the steepest possible price.” Trump called for a review of all Afghan entrants under the Biden administration, while US Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily halted processing of Afghan immigration requests pending revised vetting protocols.
The attack prompted heightened security measures across the capital, including the temporary suspension of flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the eve of Thanksgiving. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard troops to strengthen security, adding to nearly 2,200 personnel already stationed in the city from various states. Vice President JD Vance urged people of faith to pray for the victims, while West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey clarified conflicting reports regarding the condition of the soldiers. The FBI continues to lead the investigation, working to determine the suspect’s motive and whether further threats exist, as the city remains on high alert following this brazen act of violence.