President Donald Trump called for re-testing of every foreigner who entered the country following former President Joe Biden's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan after two National Guardsmen were shot and killed in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
Trump announced Wednesday that the gunman believed to be shot two West Virginia National Guard members have been identified as Afghan nationals who entered the country in 2021. The night of the attack, the president issued a video message accusing the Biden administration of allowing “unvetted foreigners” into the United States.
“We must now retest every foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure that any foreigner from any country who does not belong here is expelled, or benefit our country, if they cannot love our country, we do not want them,” Trump said.
“America will never cave and never yield in the face of terror, and at the same time, we will not be deterred from the mission that our military members have so nobly accomplished,” he continued.
The shooter has been identified by sources. CBS News as Rahmanullah Lakanwala, a 29-year-old Afghan citizen. Although the Afghan national was brought to the United States in 2021, CNN reported that he applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved in April. (RELATED: Afghan Suspect in D.C. National Guard Shooting Allowed Under Program Biden Says It's Safe)
West Virginia National Guardsmen were deployed to Washington on Trump's orders. initiative to fight crime in the nation's capital. They were shot just a few blocks from the White House and, according to the state governor, they are in critical condition. Initial reports said individuals were killed. (RELATED: The Numbers Don't Lie: Trump's D.C. Measures Are Working)
Latest news about the West Virginia National Guard attack in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/jHNroebbFH
— Governor Patrick Morrisey (@wvgovernor) November 27, 2025
The suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar!” before opening fire with a revolver, freelance journalist Julio Rojas reported. One of the National Guardsmen on the scene struck the attacker with a pocket knife, and then another fired several shots at the attacker, Rojas said. At the time of publication, it is unclear what condition the shooter is in.
After the shooting, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said reporters reported that Trump asked him to send an additional 500 National Guard troops to deploy to Washington, D.C., to help secure the city.
“This heinous attack was an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity,” Trump said in an address Wednesday.
