Washington, D.C., November 26, 2025 – The Europe Today: Two US National Guard soldiers were critically injured on Wednesday in a brazen daytime shooting just a few blocks from the White House, an incident that President Donald Trump described as “an act of terror.”
Speaking publicly, Trump condemned the attack as “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror” and termed it “a crime against our entire nation.” He confirmed that the suspect, taken into custody following the shooting, is a foreign national from Afghanistan who entered the United States in 2021 under the evacuations following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Trump said, “We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan” and stressed that measures must be taken to remove individuals who do not belong in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national. Reports indicate that Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted in April 2025. Following the incident, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an indefinite suspension of all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals.
Former President Barack Obama reacted to the attack, stating that “violence has no place in America,” and expressed prayers and support for the injured servicemembers and their families.
Details of the Shooting
The shooting occurred around 2:15 pm local time while the soldiers, a man and a woman, were conducting a high-visibility patrol near the White House. Washington, D.C. Police Executive Assistant Chief Jeffrey Carroll said the attacker “ambushed these members of the National Guard” without warning. Both soldiers were struck multiple times and remain in critical condition at local trauma centers. The suspect was also injured during the encounter.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser described the incident as “a targeted shooting” by a single assailant and confirmed that there was no ongoing threat. Senior counterterrorism officials reported that the FBI is investigating the incident as a possible act of international terrorism, although no motive has yet been established.
Following the attack, Trump directed US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth to deploy an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington. A brief security lockdown was imposed at the White House, though Trump was in Florida at the time.
Community Reactions and Concerns
Lakanwal’s relatives told NBC News that he had previously served in the Afghan army alongside US Special Forces and expressed disbelief over the allegations. The incident has also sparked concern within Muslim communities across the United States, with fears that the suspect’s nationality could provoke backlash.
The two soldiers shot on Wednesday were part of a National Guard deployment from several Republican-led states, including West Virginia, supporting security operations and immigration enforcement in Washington.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident, emphasizing the protection and safety of the American public as their top priority.
