Shooting at White House: Young Guardsmen Among Victims, Suspect Identified in Potential Act of Terrorism
Two members of the West Virginia National Guard are fighting for their lives after being shot near the entrance to the Farragut West subway station just blocks from the White House. The victims, Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom, both recently took the oath of office as newly sworn-in Guardsmen.
According to authorities, the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, opened fire around 2:15 pm local time during a high-visibility patrol. The U.S. government has identified the motive for the attack as a potential act of terrorism, prompting an extensive investigation and swift response from law enforcement.
Lakanwal allegedly acted alone, but his actions have raised significant questions about vetting processes and security protocols, particularly given that he was part of Operation Allies Welcome program in 2021. The Afghan national had entered the country with no prior criminal record but also assisted U.S. intelligence agencies during the conflict in Afghanistan.
The suspect drove from Washington state to D.C. specifically for the attack. He is currently in custody and receiving medical treatment after being subdued by other Guard troops, who were deployed to the scene as part of a rapid response.
In response to the incident, the federal government has taken immediate actions. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has put on hold all new immigration applications from Afghan nationals indefinitely while reviewing security protocols. Additionally, 500 more National Guard troops have been deployed to Washington, D.C., bringing the total number of Guardsmen to over 2,000.
Critics of the troop deployments argue that they were already facing legal challenges from local city officials, further escalating concerns about public safety and domestic troop placements.
As local leaders describe the attack as a "targeted shooting," authorities have yet to release a motive for the incident. The incident occurred during holiday travel in D.C., heightening concerns about security measures and prompting fresh debates about immigration policy.
Two members of the West Virginia National Guard are fighting for their lives after being shot near the entrance to the Farragut West subway station just blocks from the White House. The victims, Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom, both recently took the oath of office as newly sworn-in Guardsmen.
According to authorities, the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, opened fire around 2:15 pm local time during a high-visibility patrol. The U.S. government has identified the motive for the attack as a potential act of terrorism, prompting an extensive investigation and swift response from law enforcement.
Lakanwal allegedly acted alone, but his actions have raised significant questions about vetting processes and security protocols, particularly given that he was part of Operation Allies Welcome program in 2021. The Afghan national had entered the country with no prior criminal record but also assisted U.S. intelligence agencies during the conflict in Afghanistan.
The suspect drove from Washington state to D.C. specifically for the attack. He is currently in custody and receiving medical treatment after being subdued by other Guard troops, who were deployed to the scene as part of a rapid response.
In response to the incident, the federal government has taken immediate actions. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has put on hold all new immigration applications from Afghan nationals indefinitely while reviewing security protocols. Additionally, 500 more National Guard troops have been deployed to Washington, D.C., bringing the total number of Guardsmen to over 2,000.
Critics of the troop deployments argue that they were already facing legal challenges from local city officials, further escalating concerns about public safety and domestic troop placements.
As local leaders describe the attack as a "targeted shooting," authorities have yet to release a motive for the incident. The incident occurred during holiday travel in D.C., heightening concerns about security measures and prompting fresh debates about immigration policy.
... so sad that these young guardsmen were caught in the crossfire, fighting for their lives... i mean, can you even imagine the trauma they must be going through right now? 
and on top of that, it's a total concern about security protocols and vetting processes... how did this guy manage to slip through the cracks? 
and I'm not trying to jump to conclusions, but it just raises so many questions about our immigration policies and how we balance national security with compassion for those seeking refuge 
i wish there was more transparency on what happened here and how we can prevent similar incidents in the future 
i'm not saying the guards didn't do their job, but this guy was part of some program in 2021, and he just happened to be from Afghanistan... what more checks could they have done? 
meanwhile, local leaders are talking about public safety and domestic troop placements... i think we need to get to the bottom of this and make sure something like this never happens again 
3,500+ shots fired at White House in past decade 
50k+ asylum seekers processed in D.C. since 2021 
. New immigration applications from Afghans put on hold indefinitely 
. 2,000+ National Guard troops deployed to D.C. 
. What's the cost of deploying 500 more troops? $10 million/month 
. 
US has been a target for terrorism since 9/11 
. Average annual domestic terrorist attacks: 120 
. 
. How many people are hurt or killed by lone gunman attacks each year? 
1,500+ 
this is so scary i can even imagine being in washington DC right now feeling super anxious about all these events happening around us. I mean what would make someone do something like that to innocent people? it's just devastating 
we need to come together as one and support each other during these tough times 
.
. i wish authorities would give us some clear answers about motive or if there were any warning signs that we don't know about... it's just too many questions 
I'm so done with these new features on social media platforms! First, they start letting anyone from Afghanistan enter the country without a background check, and now we're having to deal with terrorism? 
Can't these people see that security measures need to be tightened up?! 