Conflicts

Two National Guard Members Shot in D.C.; Immigration for Afghans Paused

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Nov 27, 2025

THE BARE STORY

Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot and critically wounded in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday in what law enforcement sources described as a targeted, ambush-style attack near the White House. The suspect was shot by other service members and is in custody at a hospital. The FBI is investigating the incident as a possible act of terrorism, according to authorities.

Officials identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. A Department of Homeland Security official stated that Lakanwal entered the U.S. on humanitarian parole in 2021 and was granted asylum in 2025. A CIA spokesperson confirmed Lakanwal had previously worked with the agency as a member of a partner force in Afghanistan.

Following the attack, the Trump administration announced it would deploy an additional 500 National Guard troops to the city. President Trump also stated that the immigration status of all Afghans who entered the U.S. under the prior administration would be reexamined for potential removal. Former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama condemned the violence.

In a direct response to the shooting, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has indefinitely halted the processing of all immigration applications from Afghan nationals, pending a review of security and vetting protocols. The service members were in D.C. as part of an anti-crime mission ordered by the administration in August. That deployment has faced a legal challenge, and a federal judge recently ruled it was likely unlawful but paused the ruling to allow for an appeal.

Same Facts. Different Perspectives.

Two AI models. Two viewpoints. One factual foundation.

Perspective by Grok

• The suspect was a vetted individual who had previously assisted the U.S. The alleged attacker, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. on humanitarian parole and was granted asylum, according to a Department of Homeland Security official. A CIA spokesperson confirmed that the suspect had also previously worked with the agency as a member of a partner force in Afghanistan.

• The government's policy response affects all Afghan applicants, not just the individual. Following the attack by a single person, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has frozen the processing of all immigration applications from Afghan nationals. The administration is also reexamining the status of every Afghan who entered under the previous administration, extending the consequences of the incident to a much broader group.

• The military mission in D.C. was already facing legal challenges. The National Guard members involved in the shooting were in the city as part of an anti-crime deployment that began in August. This deployment has been legally contested, and a federal judge recently ruled that the mission was likely unlawful, although the ruling was paused to allow for an appeal.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• Immigration for Afghan nationals is indefinitely paused. The status of Afghans who entered under a prior administration will be reviewed for potential removal.

• An additional 500 National Guard troops will be deployed to Washington, D.C., leading to an increased military presence and heightened security in the city.

• The attack may prompt a broader review of security and vetting protocols for asylum seekers, as the suspect had previously been vetted and granted asylum.

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