WASHINGTON — The suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House drove across the country from Washington state to carry out the attack, federal officials said Thursday.
At a news conference, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the two Guard members remain in critical condition, adding,
“All hearts go out to the victims and their families.”
Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who previously worked with U.S. government entities, including the CIA, as part of a partner force in Kandahar. He entered the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration program that resettled Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Pirro referred to the withdrawal as “disastrous.”
Pirro said Lakanwal traveled from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., with the intention of committing the attack.
“A lone gunman opened fire without provocation, ambush style, armed with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver,” Pirro said. “The guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the guardsman again. Another guardsman is struck several times.”
Fellow troops immediately intervened, she said, subduing the suspect after engaging him at the scene. Lakanwal was taken to a hospital, where he remains under heavy guard.
Thanks to the swift response from other Guard members and the Metropolitan Police Department, Pirro said, “no additional victims were harmed, and the scene was secured within minutes.”
Lakanwal lived in Bellingham with his wife and what officials believe are his five children. Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, are reviewing his immigration history and the vetting process that preceded his entry into the United States.
Pirro said Lakanwal currently faces three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, along with a firearms charge.
“He faces 15 years under the assault with intent to kill,” she said, adding that charges may be upgraded depending on the condition of the wounded Guard members. “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the federal investigation remains active and ongoing. Search warrants have been executed, including at Lakanwal’s last known residence in Washington state.
“All the individuals found in the house have been interviewed, and some interviews remain ongoing,” Patel said. “We will not stop until we interview anyone and everyone associated with the subject, the house, and every piece of his life.”
