Two National Guard members were shot and seriously injured just blocks from the White House in Washington.
They remain in critical condition and the suspect, an Afghan national, remains in custody.
In response to the attack, President Donald Trump said he would send 500 more troops to the streets of the nation's capital.
What happened during the shooting near the White House?
Just after 2:00 pm EST (19:00 GMT) on Wednesday, two National Guard members, both from West Virginia, were shot at close range near Farragut Square in downtown Washington, DC.
Troopers were patrolling in high visibility conditions near the corner of 17th and I streets, an area where many office workers hang out on their lunch breaks.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect “came around the corner” and “immediately started shooting,” adding that the troopers were “ambushed.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the incident was a targeted attack.
The location of the shooting, located just a few blocks from the White House, meant that multiple law enforcement officers were quickly on the scene to treat the two victims and apprehend the shooter.
The guards were taken to hospital and remain in critical condition, officials said Thursday.
Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida ahead of Thanksgiving in the US, rather than at the White House at the time.
What do we know about the suspect?
The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal and described him as an “alien criminal from Afghanistan.”
During the arrest, the suspect was shot four times, law enforcement sources told CBS News, the BBC's US news partner.
ReutersMr. Lakanwal is 29 years old and has not been cooperating with authorities, officials said.
He is said to come to the US in 2021.
The suspect lived in Washington state with his wife and five children.
How did he get to the USA?
Mr Lakanwal reportedly came to the US in September 2021 as part of a program for Afghans called Operation Allies Welcome that existed during Joe Biden's presidency.
This happened in the period following the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
The Congressional Research Service estimates that about 77,000 Afghans entered the U.S. under special immigration protections that were in effect for about a year after the withdrawal.
Mr. Lakanwal had dealings in Afghanistan with American forces, FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said he was working with the spy agency.
Mr. Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024 and his application was granted earlier this year, an official told CBS.
Following the suspect's connection to Afghanistan, Trump said the US “must now re-examine every foreigner who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden.”
The president also suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans.
What will he be charged with?
Mr. Lacanwal will be charged with three counts of assault with intent to murder with a weapon, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.
He will also be charged with possession of a firearm during a violent crime.
The first charges mean he faces 15 years in prison if convicted.
How did the Trump administration react?
Just hours after the shooting, Trump posted a video of a speech from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
He called the shooting an “act of terrorism” and a “crime against humanity.”
The president called Mr. Lakanwala an “animal” who gunned down the guards “at point-blank range in a horrendous ambush-style attack just steps from the White House.”
In response to the shooting, Trump said he would send 500 additional National Guardsmen.
There are currently about 2,200 National Guard troops in the city.
National Guard troops are reservist forces that can be deployed as military troops but have limited powers because they cannot enforce the law or make arrests.
In August, Trump sent troops to combat what the president called “out of control” crime in the nation's capital.
What do we know about the victims?
The victims were 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe.
They are both uniformed members of the West Virginia National Guard, Pirro said.
“They were in Washington to keep Washington safe,” she said at a news conference Thursday.
ReutersAttorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that Ms. Beckstrom volunteered to work in the nation's capital during the Thanksgiving holiday.
“She volunteered, like so many of these guardsmen and women, so that other people could be home with their families, but now their families are in hospital rooms with them as they fight for their lives,” she said.
Both Ms. Beckstrom and Mr. Wolfe remain in critical condition after being shot multiple times. Both of them are after surgery.
