The suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House on the day before Thanksgiving is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan man.

Lakanwal was granted entry into the United States under the "Operation Allies Welcome" program, which was established during the Biden administration for Afghan citizens, on September 8, 2021, as a parolee. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum status in April 2025.

Two National Guard members from West Virginia were seriously injured. The FBI is investigating this shooting as a possible act of international terrorism.

On Wednesday night, Trump called the shooting a brutal attack in a speech to the nation. Additionally, Trump has ordered an additional 500 National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, D.C.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon: "This was a targeted shooting. The suspect clearly targeted these two guardsmen, and the suspect is currently in custody."

Additionally, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that all immigration applications related to Afghan citizens will be indefinitely suspended, pending further assessment of the security and background check processes.

Follow-up: CIA Director John Ratcliffe revealed that Rahmanullah Lakanwal had worked at a CIA base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Before working with the CIA, he had already passed the reviews by the NCTC (National Counterterrorism Center) and the CIA. It is reported that Lakanwal joined a task force in Kandahar. During the Afghan evacuation, the CIA evacuated many Afghan allies who had worked for the U.S. government, especially those who held CIA credentials and had worked with the agency. They were given special care and were first taken to bases in Qatar and Europe, then to U.S. military bases for further review. Holding a CIA identification card would have placed him in the "vetted" category. When Lakanwal arrived in the United States on September 8, 2021, there were no records in his background check indicating any connection to terrorism. (Ji Chunsheng)

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849984208863235/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.