An Afghan national has been accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard soldiers just blocks from the White House in an act of violence at a time when the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the soldiers were hospitalised in critical condition after Wednesday afternoon's shooting.
West Virginia Gov Patrick Morrisey had walked back his statement on Wednesday announcing the troops had died, saying he received “conflicting reports” about their condition.
The rare shooting of National Guard soldiers on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard soldiers to Washington.
The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity.
The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration programme that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from the country, officials said.
The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the US, many of whom had worked alongside US troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators.
It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
The suspect, who has been living in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said.
The people could not discuss details of an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 127 kilometres north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord Kristina Widman.
On Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.
“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”
Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant DC police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.
“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.
US halts all Afghan immigration processing
Meanwhile, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Wednesday that it has suspended all immigration processing for Afghan nationals.
"Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the agency said on X.
"The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission," it added.
Troops deployed to DC under emergency order
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalised the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.
Nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government’s latest update.
Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.
The soldiers have patrolled neighbourhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard soldiers were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago.
