Two National Guardsmen were shot and seriously injured Wednesday a few blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump said the next day that one person had died and a second was in critical condition. The suspect, an Afghan national, is in custody.
In response to the attack, President Trump said he would deploy an additional 500 troops to the streets of the capital.
What happened in the shooting near the White House?
Shortly after 14:00 EST (19:00 GMT) on Wednesday, two National Guardsmen from West Virginia were shot near Farragut Square in downtown Washington, DC.
Soldiers were on highly visible patrol near the corner of 17th Street and 1st Avenue, where many office workers flock during lunch hours.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Geoff Carroll said the suspect “came around the corner” and “immediately started shooting”, adding that the soldiers were “ambushed”.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the incident was a targeted attack.
The shooting occurred just blocks from the White House, meaning multiple law enforcement officers responded quickly to the scene, treating the two victims and apprehending the shooter.
The guards were taken to the hospital, but one person died.
Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida ahead of the US Thanksgiving holiday and was not at the White House at the time.
What do we know about the victims?
The victims’ names are Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolf, 24, both uniformed members of the West Virginia National Guard.
Mr. Beckstrom died on Thursday, Mr. Trump said during a Thanksgiving call with U.S. military members.
He said Mr Wolff remained in critical condition after being shot multiple times.
ReutersAttorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that Beckstrom volunteered to work in the nation’s capital over the Thanksgiving holiday.
“She, like many security guards and women, volunteered so that others could be home with their families,” she said.
What do we know about the suspect?
The Department of Homeland Security named the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal and described him as a “criminal alien from Afghanistan.”
The suspect was shot four times while he was being arrested, a law enforcement source told the BBC’s US partner CBS News.
ReutersMr. Lakanwal is 29 years old and is not cooperating with authorities, officials said.
He is said to have come to the United States in 2021. He lived on the other side of the country in Washington state with his wife and five children.
How did he come to America?
Mr. Lakanwal reportedly came to the United States in September 2021 under a program for Afghans called ‘Operation Allies Welcome’ that existed during President Joe Biden’s term.
This was the period following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. As the Taliban regained control of the country, there were fears of reprisals against those who collaborated with the United States.
The Congressional Research Service estimates that about 77,000 Afghans entered the United States under special immigration protection in the year or so following the withdrawal.
FBI Director Kashi Patel said Lakanwal had ties to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said he cooperated with the intelligence community.
Mr. Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024 and had his application approved earlier this year, officials told CBS.
What is the person being charged with?
Lakanwal will be charged with three counts of assault while armed and with intent to kill, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.
He is also expected to be charged with possession of a firearm during a violent crime.
The first charge means he faces 15 years in prison if convicted.
How did the Trump administration respond?
Hours after the shooting, Trump posted a video of himself speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
He described the shooting incident as an “act of terrorism” and a “crime against humanity.”
President Trump announced that he would deploy 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., where about 2,200 troops are currently stationed.
The National Guard is activated as a reserve force and can serve as a military unit, but its powers are limited because it cannot enforce the law or make arrests.
President Trump deployed the military in August to tackle “out of control” crime in the capital.
Since the troops were sent in, overall crime in the capital has decreased, which Trump attributed to the troops’ presence on the streets.
The Trump administration also announced a number of measures to highlight the backgrounds of suspects and strengthen the U.S. approach to migration from Afghanistan and other countries.
On the day of the shooting, processing of all immigration requests from Afghanistan was halted.
The next day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would reevaluate permanent resident cards issued to individuals who immigrated to the United States from 19 countries.
And Trump went on to say he would “permanently stop” migration to the United States from all “Third World countries.” This takes a term used in the past to describe poor developing countries.
