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One Afghan National has been charged in the shooting of two people in West Virginia National Guard At a time when the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities across the country has become a political flashpoint, members stormed the White House in a brazen act of violence.
FBI Director Kash Patel And Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey on Wednesday walked back his statement announcing the soldiers were killed, saying he had received “conflicting reports” about their conditions.
The rare shooting of National Guard members on U.S. soil, a day before Thanksgiving, comes amid a court battle and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials see as a crime problem that is out of control.
The Trump administration immediately ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington.
The suspect in custody was also shot and had wounds that were not life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Officials said the 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the US in 2021 through Operation Ally’s Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled thousands of Afghans following the US withdrawal from the country.
This initiative brought approximately 76,000 people to the United States, many of whom worked as interpreters and translators with American soldiers and diplomats. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of entry, even as advocates say it has offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban retaliation.
The suspect, who lives in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities are still working to fully confirm his background, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The people could not discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Lakmal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said Christina Widman, his former landlord.
The President said in a video message released on social media on Wednesday night donald trump Called for re-vetigation of all Afghan refugees entering under the Biden administration.
He said, “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.” He said the shootings were “a crime against our entire country.”
Acting Assistant DC Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll said investigators had no information about a motive. Citing video reviewed by investigators, he said the attacker “came around the corner” and immediately began firing at the soldiers.
“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.
soldiers caught the attacker
The shooting occurred near a subway station about two blocks northwest of the White House. Hearing the gunshots, other soldiers in the area ran and captured the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.
“It appears this was a lone gunman who raised a gun and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said. He said it was unclear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.
“We do not have any other suspects at this time,” Carroll said at a news conference.
Another law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said at least one member of the Guard exchanged fire with the shooter.
Social media videos shared immediately afterward showed first responders performing CPR on one soldier and treating another on a sidewalk covered in broken glass.
Eyewitnesses saw people running
Michael Ryan was just across the street when he heard a loud bang and started running with the others. When he returned later, he told the AP he saw a man on the ground and people yelling, “Stay down” and, nearby, National Guard soldiers hugging each other.
“It’s a terrible situation to see,” Ryan said.
Emma MacDonald, who emerged from the subway station shortly after the shooting, said she and a friend sought safety with other people in a café. McDonald told the AP that a few minutes later he saw first responders rolling in a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.
Police tape cordoned off the scene, and fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades roared overhead. Agents of the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were there, and National Guard soldiers stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
“I think it’s a sobering reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, Reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and shield of the United States,” Vice President JD Vance Said at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a message of thanks to the troops.
Gen. Steven Nordhaus, head of the National Guard Bureau, canceled plans to spend the holidays with troops at Guantanamo Bay to travel to D.C. and stay with Guard members there.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on social media that he visited injured National Guard members in the hospital and that his “heart is broken for them.”
Soldiers deployed in DC under emergency order
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized local police forces and dispatched National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired after a month, but the soldiers remained.
According to the latest update from the government, around 2,200 soldiers are currently assigned to the joint task force operating in the city.
A federal judge last week ordered an end to the deployment, but he put his order on hold for 21 days to give the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.
Guard members patrol neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participate in highway checkpoints and are tasked with picking up trash and securing sporting events.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment through the end of the year, while others returned home a week early.
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