Multiple law enforcement officials tell CBS News the suspect in Wednesday’s Washington, D.C., shooting of two National Guardsmen is 29‑year‑old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Sources say a handgun was used in the attack; officials say Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021.
The chaotic scene unfolded about 100 feet behind the CBS News reporter, two blocks north of the White House near a Metro stop at 17th and K (17th and I Street). Members of the National Guard, deployed from West Virginia on high‑visibility patrol, were ambushed when a suspect rounded a corner and opened fire. Law enforcement officials say roughly 10–15 shots were fired in what they described as an ambush‑style attack.
Two National Guardsmen were evacuated to an area hospital in critical condition; officials later told CBS News that both had been stabilized. The suspect was also injured and transported to a hospital; senior law enforcement officials said the suspect was shot four times. Other members of the National Guard on patrol rushed to subdue the suspect, and within minutes Metropolitan Police, EMS, fire department, and federal law enforcement — including U.S. Secret Service uniformed division personnel from the White House, U.S. Marshals, ATF and the FBI — were on scene.
President Trump called the suspect “an animal,” and FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI will lead the investigation and that the suspect will face “enormous consequences.” The president directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy 500 additional National Guard members to the nation’s capital; there are about 2,100 Guard members in D.C. who have been there since roughly August under a national crime emergency.
CBS News Homeland Security correspondent Nicole Sganga reported the scene as law enforcement and federal agencies coordinated. Retired FBI Assistant Special Agent‑in‑Charge Jeff Harp told CBS News the FBI will likely treat the case as a terrorism matter while they investigate, given the suspect’s background and the targeting of uniformed National Guard members.
Harp said the attack’s ambush characteristics — a concealed handgun, the ability to move freely in downtown D.C. without metal detectors, and the suspect’s apparent preoperational planning — make detection difficult and raise questions about motive and any possible ties to larger groups. He noted that, if the suspect came to the U.S. in 2021, investigators will examine any connections that could indicate an international terrorism link. Harp also said the attack will prompt heightened security around upcoming large public events and holiday gatherings, including the New York parade and D.C. holiday events, with local and federal partners reviewing assets and intelligence.
The FBI’s Washington field office and headquarters resources, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force, were expected to support the investigation. Authorities have not publicly released a motive; the investigation is ongoing.