Breaking: Two National Guard Soldiers Ambushed Near White House

Two members of the West Virginia National Guard are fighting for their lives following what authorities are calling a targeted ambush near the White House on Wednesday afternoon. The shooting occurred at approximately 2:15 p.m. near the Farragut West Metro station, a busy transit hub only a few blocks from the executive mansion. According to authorities, the gunman approached a patrol of three National Guard soldiers, rounded a corner and immediately opened fire. The attack was described as unprovoked and carried out with clear intent. The first victim, a female soldier, was struck almost instantly and fell to the ground. The assailant then turned her weapon on a second soldier who was also hit. A third member of the patrol, who was not injured, returned fire and struck the suspect several times, bringing the shooting to an end.

Witnesses reported chaos as commuters fled into nearby buildings while other Guard personnel rushed to the scene to provide medical assistance. The rapid response from additional National Guard members helped stabilize the victims until medical teams arrived. The White House was placed on temporary lockdown and flights at Reagan National Airport were briefly suspended as authorities worked to secure the area and determine whether there were additional threats.

The two wounded soldiers are members of the West Virginia National Guard and remain in critical condition at local hospitals. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially announced that both had died of their injuries but later corrected the statement, explaining that early conflicting reports had led to the error. Officials have not released the names of the victims but confirm that one is female and one is male.

The suspect has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a twenty nine year old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 during the evacuation following the fall of Kabul. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was approved in April 2025. He was shot several times during the exchange with the National Guard and is currently hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive, but officials state that the FBI is treating the attack as an assault on federal officers.

President Donald Trump condemned the shooting from Mar a Lago, describing it as a monstrous act of evil and linking the incident to broader immigration policy failures. He promised that the suspect would face severe consequences and announced a review of all immigration cases involving Afghan nationals admitted during the previous administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the president has authorized the deployment of 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington to reinforce the more than 2,000 already stationed in the district. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser condemned the attack and assured residents that authorities would prosecute the shooter to the fullest extent of the law.

The shooting comes at a time of heightened legal and political tension surrounding the military presence in Washington. The injured troops were part of a large deployment ordered by President Trump in August 2025 to address crime in the capital. The deployment has been challenged in court, and a federal judge recently ruled that the arrangement violated statutory limits on the use of state forces for domestic law enforcement. The judge delayed the ruling until December 11 to allow for appeals, which kept the troops active at the time of the attack. The administration has since requested an emergency stay to prevent the ruling from taking effect.

As of late Wednesday night, the area around Farragut Square remains sealed off as a major crime scene. Security across the district has been tightened, and residents report a heavy military and police presence in the downtown area. Vigils have been organized in West Virginia as communities await updates on the condition of the wounded soldiers. The investigation is ongoing, and federal officials are expected to release additional information in the coming days