Two members of the National Guard were shot and seriously wounded on Wednesday just blocks from the White House in Washington DC. One died on Thursday while the second remains in a critical condition, US President Donald Trump said. The suspect, an Afghan national, is in custody. In response to the attack, Trump said he would deploy another 500 troops to the streets of the nation's capital.
Just after 14:00EST on Wednesday, two members of the National Guard, both from West Virginia, were shot at close range near Farragut Square. The soldiers were on a visibility patrol in a busy area when they were ambushed. Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll described the incident as a targeted attack, and law enforcement quickly apprehended the shooter.
The shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, who was shot in the process of being apprehended and is now facing multiple charges. He reportedly arrived in the U.S. in 2021 through a program aiding Afghan immigrants and had previously collaborated with U.S. forces.
The victims were named as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom's death has shocked the community, and she was remembered for volunteering to serve during the Thanksgiving holiday to help keep the city safe. President Trump, while responding to the incident, labeled it an act of terror and expressed his condolences.
Just after 14:00EST on Wednesday, two members of the National Guard, both from West Virginia, were shot at close range near Farragut Square. The soldiers were on a visibility patrol in a busy area when they were ambushed. Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll described the incident as a targeted attack, and law enforcement quickly apprehended the shooter.
The shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, who was shot in the process of being apprehended and is now facing multiple charges. He reportedly arrived in the U.S. in 2021 through a program aiding Afghan immigrants and had previously collaborated with U.S. forces.
The victims were named as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom's death has shocked the community, and she was remembered for volunteering to serve during the Thanksgiving holiday to help keep the city safe. President Trump, while responding to the incident, labeled it an act of terror and expressed his condolences.
