Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been identified as the person who shot two National Guard members in Washington DC on Wednesday, November 26, as per CBS News. Earlier, reports had identified him as an Afghani national.
NBC News also reported that the FBI was looking to investigate the matter as a terrorism case, given the person's country of origin. CBS News further reported that the suspect was 29 years old and had entered the US in 2021. He is now in custody of the authorities.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal shooting motive
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser noted that the shooting was a ‘targeted attack’. Authorities noted that the suspect had come around a corner and began to fire upon the National Guard soldiers. Other troop members present had to intervene to bring the situation under control. No other official motive has been provided at this time.
Also Read | National Guard shooting: Afghan national, used handgun - key things to know about suspect in DC case
NBC News reported that both the National Guard members had been shot in the head. He reportedly used a handgun. Their condition remains critical, as per President Donald Trump.
{{/usCountry}}NBC News reported that both the National Guard members had been shot in the head. He reportedly used a handgun. Their condition remains critical, as per President Donald Trump.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, Lakanwal also sustained injuries, but Associated Press had reported that there was no reason to believe that these were life-threatening.
President Trump, meanwhile, issued a stern warning. He said there would be a ‘steep price to pay’ on the shooter's part. Trump wrote on Truth Social “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”.
Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that Trump had directed him to deploy 500 additional National Guard troops to DC in the wake of the shooting. Trump had first deployed the National Guard to DC in August, expressing a wish to solve the crime and homelessness problem in the city, as per the president. Many of Trump's loyalists and those among the MAGA base have blamed a recent video from Senator Mark Kelly and five other democrats saying troops can refuse to follow ‘illegal orders’. They have linked it to the violence that played out blocks away from the White House, today.