Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images News / Getty Images
11/27 Update:
Federal officials have identified the two National Guard members shot near the White House 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, both fighting to recover after emergency surgery. The two had only been on duty in D.C. for a matter of hours, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is asking Americans to keep them in their prayers. She says both volunteered to be there over the holiday.
The suspected gunman is 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under a Biden-era program connected to the Afghanistan withdrawal. FBI agents have already searched his home in Washington state as they dig into the possibility of an international terrorism motive. Investigators say he once worked with U.S. partner forces overseas.
Attorney General Pam Bondi says the Justice Department will push for the death penalty if either soldier takes a turn for the worse. She says doctors are still watching both closely, and their long-term outlook isn’t clear. More updates are expected as the investigation moves forward.
Original story:
FBI Director Kash Patel has announced that the two National Guard troops shot near the White House on Wednesday are in critical condition.
Officials say this was a targeted shooting. The gunman, who is injured, is in custody. There are no other suspects. This appears to be a lone gunman.
This all was after a chaotic series of social media posts from West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey. At first he posted to X that the two guardsmen had died. He then posted that "We are now receiving conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members and will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information. Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community."
Washington DC Police say they have a shooter in custody, apparently in critical condition. The White House and Treasury Department ordered the premises on lockdown following a shooting with at least one National Guard soldier and several people injured.
The shooter has since been identified as a 29-year-old illegal alien from Afghanistan. He entered the country in August 2021, during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, then overstayed his visa.
President Trump has released a statement via Truth Social. Vice President JD Vance has also addressed the situation while meeting with our troops before the holiday.
In response, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has deployed 500 more National Guard troops to the area.