{"id":30066,"date":"2025-11-27T12:50:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=30066"},"modified":"2025-11-28T04:03:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:03:31","slug":"two-members-of-the-national-guard-shot-and-seriously-wounded-near-the-white-house-in-washington-dc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2025\/11\/27\/two-members-of-the-national-guard-shot-and-seriously-wounded-near-the-white-house-in-washington-dc\/","title":{"rendered":"Two members of the National Guard shot and seriously wounded near the White House in Washington DC"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Two members of the National Guard were shot and seriously wounded just blocks from the White House in Washington DC.<\/b><\/p>\n

Update:
\nOne of the two members of the National Guard who were shot in Washington DC on Wednesday has died, US President Donald Trump said.<\/b><\/p>\n

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries, while the second National Guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, “is fighting for his life”, Trump said on Thursday evening.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both were shot at close range near Farragut Square in downtown DC just after 14:00 EST (19:00 GMT)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The suspect, an Afghan national, is in custody.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the attack, President Donald Trump said he would deploy another 500 troops to the streets of the nation’s capital.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What happened in shooting near White House?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Just after 14:00EST (19:00GMT) on Wednesday, two members of the National Guard, both from West Virginia, were shot at close range near Farragut Square in downtown Washington DC.<\/p>\n

The soldiers had been on a high-visibility patrol near the corner of 17th and I streets, an area where many office workers mill around at lunchtime.<\/p>\n

Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect “came around the corner” and “immediately started firing”, adding that the soldiers had been “ambushed”.<\/p>\n

Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington DC, said the incident was a targeted attack.<\/p>\n

The location of the shooting, just blocks from the White House, meant a number of law enforcement officials were quickly on the scene to treat the two victims and apprehend the shooter.<\/p>\n

The guards members were taken to hospital and remain in a critical condition, officials said on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida ahead of the US Thanksgiving holiday and not at the White House at the time.<\/p>\n

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What do we know about the suspect?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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The Department of Homeland Security named the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and described him as “a criminal alien from Afghanistan”.<\/p>\n

During his apprehension, the suspect was shot four times, law enforcement sources told CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Rahmanullah(<\/picture><\/span>Image: <\/span>Reuters)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Lakanwal is 29 years old and not co-operating with authorities, officials said.<\/p>\n

He is said to have come to the US in 2021.<\/p>\n

The suspect resided in the state of Washington with his wife and five children.<\/p>\n

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How did he come to the US?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Lakanwal reportedly came to the US in September 2021, under a programme for Afghans named Operation Allies Welcome that existed during the presidency of Joe Biden.<\/p>\n

This was during the time period that follow a chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

The Congressional Research Service estimated that around 77,000 Afghans entered the US under special immigration protections, in place for about a year following that withdrawal.<\/p>\n

Mr Lakanwal had a relationship in Afghanistan with the US forces, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Thursday. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said he worked with the intelligence agency.<\/p>\n

Mr Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024, and his application had been granted earlier this year, an official told CBS.<\/p>\n

In the wake of the suspect’s connection to Afghanistan, Trump has said that the US “must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden”.<\/p>\n

The president also suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What will he be charged with?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Lakanwal will be charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.<\/p>\n

He will also be charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.<\/p>\n

The first charges mean he will face 15 years behind bars if found guilty.<\/p>\n

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How has Trump administration responded?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Just hours after the shooting, Trump posted a video speaking from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.<\/p>\n

He described the shooting as an “act of terror” and “a crime against humanity”.<\/p>\n

The president called Mr Lakanwal an “animal” who shot the guard members “at point-blank range in a monstrous, ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House”.<\/p>\n

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