Washington, D.C.- One of two National Guard members shot near the White House on Wednesday volunteered to work the holiday so other troops could spend Thanksgiving with their families, authorities said. The shooting,being investigated as a possible terrorist attack,occurred near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest D.C.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, allegedly opened fire on the two guardsmen before being shot by return fire. Both National Guard members are currently in critical condition.
“Thay received the finest medical care. Their families are with them now. They are critical – I think you understand the meaning of that. It’s not clear how this is going to end up. But let me be perfectly clear about how it will end up in this office – if one of them is to pass, and God forbid that happens, this is a murder one. Period. End of the story,” said U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro.
Pirro added,”We are praying on a day like today when families come together in America and they hold hands around the Thanksgiving table. I beg you, I beseech you to pray for these two young people that they survive.”
Authorities are working to determine Lakanwal’s motive, but are investigating the incident as a targeted terrorist attack.Lakanwal, a former member of the Afghan Army stationed in Kandahar who supported U.S. Special Forces, applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23, 2025. He had no known criminal history.
The wounded guardsmen were sworn in less than 24 hours before the shooting. Charges against Lakanwal will be determined by the prognosis of the two National Guard members, officials said.
