Washington D.C. National Guard Attack (2025)

Washington D.C. National Guard Attack (2025) is an armed attack that occurred on November 26, 2025, at the intersection of 17th Street NW and I Street NW in Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, approximately two blocks from the White House. In the incident, two soldiers affiliated with the West Virginia National Guard were injured.

Course of Events

The attack occurred around 2:15 PM local time on November 26, 2025. Chief of Staff for the Metropolitan Police Department, Jeffery Carroll, described the sequence of events during a press briefing: “At approximately 2:15 PM, while National Guard personnel were conducting a high-visibility patrol in Washington, a suspect emerged, raised a weapon, and opened fire on the Guardsmen.”

Carroll stated that following the attack, “some mutual exchanges occurred” and that National Guard personnel quickly neutralized and apprehended the attacker. It was confirmed that the suspect was shot and wounded during the incident and transported to a hospital.

FBI Director Kash Patel, during the same press briefing, characterized the attack as “an assault on a federal law enforcement officer.” Patel announced that the FBI is conducting the investigation in coordination with the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, ATF, and DEA.

Within minutes, numerous security and emergency response units arrived at the scene. Personnel from DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services provided immediate first aid to the two National Guard soldiers at the location. One was transported by air ambulance, while the other was taken by ground ambulance to local hospitals. The attack took place near the Farragut Square Metro Station.

Following the attack, the area was fully secured. Secret Service and Metropolitan Police units closed streets to traffic, permitting only limited access to individuals remaining in hotels or businesses. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing numerous police vehicles, ambulances, and a helicopter operating in the area.

A handgun recovered at the scene is believed to have been used in the attack. According to information obtained by investigative units, the attacker fired at close range at the Guardsmen and then turned toward a soldier who had fallen to the ground. During this time, a third Guardsman is reported to have returned fire and struck the attacker.

In his post-incident press statement, Carroll said, “There are currently no other suspects.” The FBI and Metropolitan Police confirmed that the attacker acted alone and that no evidence of any organizational affiliation has been found.

Injured and Medical Conditions

It has been confirmed that both injured soldiers were members of the West Virginia National Guard. Following the incident, the wounded soldiers were transported to separate hospitals.

The identities of the injured soldiers have not been released to the public. Press statements emphasized that both soldiers were in “critical but stable” condition. The FBI and DC Emergency Medical Services stated that the soldiers’ treatment is “ongoing”.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, in his initial statement, indicated that both soldiers had died, but later clarified via social media that he had received “conflicting information” regarding their condition. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth commented on the soldiers’ condition: “This incident will only strengthen our resolve to make Washington D.C. safe and beautiful.”

U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, in a social media post, stated that he visited the injured soldiers in the hospital and used the phrase, “My heart aches for them.” Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lieutenant General Steven Nordhaus, canceled his planned visit to Guantanamo Bay and traveled to Washington. Officials confirmed that Nordhaus met with National Guard units in D.C. to deliver a message of support.

Commander of Joint Task Force – DC, Colonel Larry Doane, in a written statement, said, “Myself and the entire Task Force stand with the National Guard and their families, who entered this Thanksgiving holiday with a burden no one should have to bear.” Doane added, “These Guardsmen came from West Virginia to make our nation’s capital safe and beautiful. They are heroes.”

Witnesses at the scene reported that before being transported by ambulance, the injured soldiers received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from medical personnel.

Identity and Arrest of the Suspect

The suspect apprehended after the attack has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal (in some sources, Lakamal). In a press release by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the suspect was described as an “Afghan national criminal alien.”

It has been reported that the suspect arrived in the United States from Afghanistan in September 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program initiated during the previous administration. This program was established to admit thousands of Afghan citizens following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

FBI and DHS officials stated that the suspect applied for asylum in 2024 and that his application was approved by the Trump administration in April 2025.

On the day of the attack, the assailant fired at the West Virginia National Guard from a distance of several meters. Police records indicate the suspect was armed with a handgun, and video footage confirmed he fired at close range. FBI officials reported that the suspect was wounded and apprehended at the scene.

Metropolitan Police Department official Jeffery Carroll, during the press briefing, said, “This incident appears to be the act of a single armed individual who raised his weapon and ambushed the National Guard.”

Statements by President Donald Trump

Hours after the attack, U.S. President Donald Trump made his first public statement via his social media account Truth Social: “The animal who shot two National Guardsmen, both in critical condition and currently in separate hospitals, is also seriously wounded, but will pay a very heavy price. May God help our noble National Guard, our military, and all law enforcement.”

Later that evening, in a public address from his private residence at Mar-a-Lago, Trump characterized the attack as an “abhorrent act of evil, hatred, and terrorism.” He added, “This was a crime against our entire nation. This was a crime against humanity.”

Trump announced that the status of immigrants from Afghanistan would be reexamined: “We must reevaluate every foreign national who entered our country from Afghanistan during the Biden administration, and we must take all necessary measures to deport those who have no right to be here or who contribute nothing to our nation.”

Trump criticized the Biden administration’s policy of accepting Afghan immigrants, noting that the suspect entered the country in 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program.

During Trump’s speech, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted on social media: “All immigration processes related to Afghan nationals have been suspended indefinitely pending a review of security and vetting protocols.” Trump stated, “America will never bow down to or surrender to terrorism. We will never abandon the honorable service of our soldiers.”

President Trump announced that he had ordered an increase in security measures in Washington D.C. and directed the Pentagon to deploy 500 additional National Guard troops: “I have ordered the Pentagon to send 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington. This will ensure that a similar attack never happens again.”