Two National Guard members are in critical condition after being shot in an ambush near the White House in Washington, D.C. 

On November 26, 2025, around 2:15 p.m. local time, a gunman opened fire on two members of the West Virginia National Guard while they were on patrol near the corner of 17th and I Streets — just blocks away from the White House. The shooting happened near the Farragut West station, in what authorities described as a “targeted ambush.” 

The suspect, identified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Rahmanullah Lakanwal — a 29-year-old Afghan national — was taken into custody after being wounded in a return exchange of gunfire. The suspect, who entered the U.S. in 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program and was reportedly granted asylum in April 2025, is now hospitalized. 

Local police and federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), are investigating the motive behind the attack. As of now, no definitive motive has been released. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage from the scene. 

In the aftermath, the government has taken swift action: several hundred additional National Guard troops have been ordered to Washington, D.C. by Donald J. Trump, aiming to bolster security in the capital. Meanwhile, DHS announced an indefinite suspension of immigration applications for Afghan nationals, pending a review of vetting and security procedures. 

The incident — occurring just before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday — has triggered sharp debates over domestic security, immigration policy, and the use of military forces in urban policing. Local residents and lawmakers alike are demanding clarity on how such a breach could occur so close to the seat of U.

S. power.