White House locked down after 2 National Guardsmen shot in Washington

WASHINGTON – 26 November 2025: Two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington on Wednesday and were hospitalized with serious injuries.

The shooting, described by officials as a targeted ambush, triggered a lockdown of multiple government buildings, including the White House, according to US reports.

The suspect, an Afghan citizen, was taken into custody after being shot during the incident.

The Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal but authorities say the motive for the shooting has not yet been determined.

A Trump administration official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23 this year, three months after President Donald Trump took office.

Trump vowed on his Truth Social platform that the “animal” who shot the two soldiers, critically wounding them, would “will pay a very steep price.”

In a pre-recorded video statement late on Wednesday, Trump called the attack “an act of evil, an act of hatred, and an act of terrorism.”

Trump blamed former President Joe Biden’s administration for allowing the alleged shooter to enter the US after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021. 

He added that his administration would review the files of all Afghans who arrived in the United States during Biden’s presidency.

Later on Wednesday night, US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency announced an immediate halt to processing all immigration applications involving Afghan nationals “indefinitely pending further review.”