White House Attack: Two Soldiers Gunned Down In ‘targeted Ambush’

What should person been a modular patrol conscionable a fewer blocks from nan White House turned into a horrifying segment connected Wednesday November 26 aft 2 National Guard soldiers were changeable and near successful captious condition.

The onslaught happened astir 2.15pm adjacent nan engaged area of 17th and I Streets, an area filled pinch agency workers grabbing lunch. Police opportunity nan shooter came astir a area and opened occurrence straight astatine nan patrol, leaving nan soldiers pinch life-threatening injuries earlier different troops returned occurrence and subdued him.

“This was a targeted shooting,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said, stressing that investigators judge nan gunman acted alone.

Suspect identified arsenic Afghan nationalist resettled successful nan US successful 2021

Authorities later confirmed nan fishy arsenic Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan nationalist who entered nan US successful 2021 nether Operation Allies Welcome – nan Biden-era strategy created to resettle Afghans who assisted American forces during nan war.

He had nary known criminal history, and investigators are still searching for a motive.

According to a erstwhile Trump management charismatic cited by Reuters, Lakanwal applied for asylum successful December 2024 and was approved successful April this year. Hours aft nan shooting, US migration authorities announced an contiguous halt connected each migration requests from Afghan nationals while vetting procedures are reviewed.

The White House guidance was swift. From his edifice successful Florida, President Donald Trump released a video calling nan onslaught “an enactment of evil, hatred and terror” and promised to re-examine nan position of each Afghans admitted nether Biden. Vice President JD Vance went further, saying nan incident proved nan management was correct to tighten migration enforcement.

Chaos successful nan bosom of Washington

The shooting erupted adjacent to Farragut Square, a celebrated lunchtime parkland surrounded by cafés, restaurants and 2 Metro stations. Witnesses described a infinitesimal of disorder and panic arsenic shots rang out.

“I heard what sounded for illustration gunfire and ran,” said Mike Ryan, 55. “When I came back, 2 soldiers were connected nan crushed and group were trying to revive 1 of them.”

Another witness, Emma McDonald, said she saw 1 of nan victims being carried distant connected a stretcher, “his caput covered successful blood”.

National Guard troops person been stationed crossed Washington since August arsenic portion of Trump’s arguable crime and migration crackdown. Around 2,200 soldiers are already deployed successful nan capital, and defence officials opportunity an other 500 are now connected nan measurement pursuing nan attack.

Trump has many times claimed that crime has “disappeared” from nan metropolis acknowledgment to nan deployment – a declare that runs antagonistic to charismatic constabulary statistics.