7 months ago
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A antheral suspected of shooting 2 National Guard soldiers adjacent the White House was an Afghan nationalist who had served alongside American troops successful Afghanistan, U.S. media reported connected Wednesday (November 26, 2025), arsenic Washington labelled the incidental an “act of terror.”
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, opened fire and wounded the soldiers connected patrol connected Wednesday (November 26, 2025) afternoon, earlier helium was changeable and hospitalised, The New York Times, CBS, NBC and others reported.
Without naming him, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said connected societal media that the fishy “was 1 of the galore unvetted, wide paroled into the United States nether Operation Allies Welcome”.
The program, launched by erstwhile President Joe Biden, offered susceptible Afghans, including those who served alongside US forces, the accidental to resettle successful the United States aft the instrumentality of the Taliban government.
More than 190,000 Afghans person been resettled to the United States since the Taliban takeover, according to the US State Department.
NBC quoted a comparative of the suspect, who said Lakanwal arrived successful the United States successful September 2021 having served successful the Afghan service for 10 years alongside US Special Forces, mostly based successful Kandahar — the historical birthplace of the Taliban and the bosom of dense warring during the 20-year warfare betwixt the then-insurgents and foreign-backed forces.
Fox News, citing CIA main John Ratcliffe, said Lakanwal worked with assorted U.S. authorities entities, including the quality service.
Lakanwal applied for asylum successful 2024, which was granted successful 2025, CNN and CBS reported, citing nationalist information authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that the fishy was an Afghan who arrived successful the United States successful 2021 “on those infamous flights,” referring to the evacuations of Afghans arsenic the Taliban took implicit the war-torn state pursuing the US retreat.
Soon aft Trump’s address, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended each Afghan applications indefinitely.
Controversial subject use
Mr. Trump condemned the shooting arsenic “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror,” calling it a “crime against our full nation.”
The shocking attack, carried retired aboriginal day erstwhile the streets and offices of downtown Washington were bustling, has renewed absorption connected Trump’s arguable militarization of an anti-crime propulsion astir the country.
The President has deployed troops to respective cities, each tally by Democrats, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis. The deployments person prompted aggregate lawsuits and protests from section officials who impeach the Republican of seeking authoritarian powers.
Trump’s connection besides indicated that his arsenic arguable thrust to basal retired migrants successful the state illegally — the halfway of his home docket — volition get caller impetus.
“We indispensable present reexamine each azygous alien who has entered our state from Afghanistan” nether Mr. Biden, helium wrote.
“We indispensable instrumentality each indispensable measures to guarantee the removal of immoderate alien from immoderate state who does not beryllium here, oregon adhd payment to our state if they can’t emotion our country, we don’t privation them.”
Vice President JD Vance echoed the connection saying “we indispensable redouble our efforts to deport radical with nary close to beryllium successful our country.”
‘Ambushed’
Jeffery Carroll, adjunct main of the Washington police, said the gunman “ambushed” his victims.
He “came astir the corner, raised his limb with a firearm and discharged astatine the National Guard members.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the 2 Guard members were successful “critical condition.”
Mr. Trump said earlier connected societal media the fishy was “also severely wounded, but regardless, volition wage a precise steep price.”
An AFP newsman adjacent the country heard respective large pops and saw radical running.
Dozens of bystanders were caught up successful the chaos.
“We heard gunshots. We were waiting astatine the postulation airy and determination were respective shots,” said Angela Perry, 42, who was driving location with her 2 children.
“You could spot National Guard moving toward the metro with their weapons drawn.”
Soon aft the shootings, information agents flooded the area. Officers carrying rifles stood defender down yellowish portion astatine the perimeter arsenic a chopper circled overhead.
An AFP newsman saw exigency crews moving with a wheeled stretcher and soon aft emerging with a casualty wearing camouflage, who was loaded into an ambulance.
