A 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been identified as the suspect in a shocking shooting incident near the White House on Wednesday. The Department of Homeland Security revealed that Lakanwal entered the United States four years ago under Operation Allies Welcome, a program initiated by President Biden to welcome tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees.
According to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Lakanwal was paroled into the US in 2021 on humanitarian grounds. He later applied for asylum and had his application granted in 2025, although his request for a green card remains pending.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that Lakanwal was a lone gunman who ambushed two National Guard troops near a mass transit station in downtown DC. The first victim, a female Guard member, sustained at least two gunshot wounds and collapsed after being shot immediately. The second Guard member was also struck, although details on the extent of his injuries are not yet clear.
In a bizarre twist, Lakanwal had initially four rounds of ammunition in his handgun but was subdued by another Guard member who took him into custody. Despite being shot himself, he is currently hospitalized.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and authorities say Lakanwal is not cooperating with investigators at this time. The two wounded National Guard members are listed as being in critical condition.
This incident has sent shockwaves through Washington DC, and President Trump has described Lakanwal as a "foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on Earth."
According to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Lakanwal was paroled into the US in 2021 on humanitarian grounds. He later applied for asylum and had his application granted in 2025, although his request for a green card remains pending.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that Lakanwal was a lone gunman who ambushed two National Guard troops near a mass transit station in downtown DC. The first victim, a female Guard member, sustained at least two gunshot wounds and collapsed after being shot immediately. The second Guard member was also struck, although details on the extent of his injuries are not yet clear.
In a bizarre twist, Lakanwal had initially four rounds of ammunition in his handgun but was subdued by another Guard member who took him into custody. Despite being shot himself, he is currently hospitalized.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and authorities say Lakanwal is not cooperating with investigators at this time. The two wounded National Guard members are listed as being in critical condition.
This incident has sent shockwaves through Washington DC, and President Trump has described Lakanwal as a "foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on Earth."
It just doesn't add up. And now this guy shows up and goes ballistic near the White House? I mean, I'm all for helping people in need, but this just feels too convenient. 
What if he was never actually in need of asylum? What if he was just looking for an easy way in? The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that our immigration system is a mess 
.
I don't get why people are so quick to judge this guy. He's been living in the US for years, got asylum, and is trying to build a life here. Four years ago he was just a refugee looking for safety, not some mastermind shooter 
. We should be understanding and compassionate towards people who have fled war zones and are trying to start anew.
It's also weird that we're focusing on his nationality and the fact that he was in Afghanistan when making our judgment. What if he wasn't even born there? 
What about all the other Afghans living here, contributing members of society?
Can we please try to separate the suspect from the issue at hand? Let's not jump to conclusions or make assumptions based on limited info. We need facts and a fair investigation to figure out what really happened 
.
It's disheartening to see this kind of rhetoric coming from someone like President Trump, who should know better. We're living in a world where people are trying to come together and rebuild, not tear each other apart 
.
He just walks into the US under Operation Allies Welcome and now he's out here committing a major crime 
. And now, President Trump is all like "he's a hellhole on Earth" 
... what even is that? 
Can we please just focus on the victims and get them the help they need 
.
i mean, hes always going on about america first and all that but now hes basically stigmatizing an entire country. 
Anyway, gotta feel bad for those National Guardsmen who were hurt. They're literally fighting for our country and this happens. 
omg can't believe this is happenin in dc i was out walking near the white house yesterday evening and it's crazy to think a guy like that could just walk into the city with a gun and cause all this damage. how did he even get in here?