The gunman who allegedly shot and killed two West Virginia National Guard members has been identified as an Afghan national, according to a senior official and multiple media outlets.
Representatives of law enforcement agencies spoke about this CBS News that the suspect was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who first entered the United States in 2021. A senior Department of Homeland Security official confirmed the nationality of the suspected shooter to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The National Guardsmen were shot about a mile from the White House and are in critical condition after initial reports indicated that they were killed. (RELATED: Democrat Who Posted Video Calling on Troops to Disobey Trump Forced to Admit He Can't Name a Single Illegal Order)
🚨An LE source in Washington tells me that the National Guard shooting suspect is an Afghan national who used a revolver.
The National Guard member, who was not armed with a firearm, stabbed the suspect with a pocket knife. Another guardsman responded to the shooting and shot the suspect…
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) November 26, 2025
The suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar!” before opening fire with a revolver, according to journalist Julio Rojas. Rojas said one of the National Guardsmen on the scene stabbed the shooter with a pocketknife, and then another fired several shots at the assailant.
President Donald Trump announced federal takeover of Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to fight crime in the District of Columbia on August 11, days after Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) officer Edward “Big Balls” Coristine was seriously wounded when he tried to stop the mob from stealing a car.
MPD is said to be holding the suspect in custody while the FBI investigates the attack as a terrorist attack. according to for NBC News.
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