Authorities have identified the man accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.
Law enforcement officials stated that Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021, a detail confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security official. The suspect is currently in the custody of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The violence erupted roughly one mile from the executive mansion. According to accounts from journalist Julio Rojas, the suspect shouted “Allahu akbar!” before opening fire with a revolver.
The situation escalated rapidly; one Guardsman on the scene managed to stab the gunman with a pocketknife, while another returned fire, striking the assailant multiple times.
READ: Ambush At The Capital: Troops Cling To Life As Trump To Send 500 More Soldiers To D.C.
While initial reports suggested the service members had been killed, officials have clarified that both are alive but remain in critical condition.
NBC News reports that the FBI is now spearheading the investigation and is treating the attack as an act of terrorism.
The shooting occurs against a backdrop of intensified federal involvement in D.C. law enforcement. On August 11, President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the MPD to combat rising crime in the capital.
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