BREAKING: Afghan National Identified As Suspect In D.C. National Guard Attack

An Afghan national has been identified as the gunman who deliberately targeted and shot two National Guard soldiers while they were on patrol in downtown Washington D.C. on Wednesday night. Both soldiers remain in critical condition as of this report.

The FBI is currently investigating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism, two senior U.S. law enforcement officials told NBC News.

Officials said the suspect, who is believed to have carried out the attack with a handgun, has been initially identified as an Afghan national. Law enforcement officials are still trying to confirm all of the person’s details, NBC News reported.

A separate report from CBS News identified the suspect as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. According to Fox News, the suspect is believed to have entered the country in 2021 and later overstayed his visa, making him an illegal immigrant.

Veteran reporter Julio Rosas reported, citing two D.C. law enforcement sources, that the suspect allegedly shouted “Allah Akbar” while carrying out the attack. “A National Guardsman, who was not armed with a firearm, used a pocket knife to stab the suspect. Another Guardsman responded to the gunfire and shot the suspect multiple times.,” Rosas reported.

An eyewitness photo shows a heavyset, practically naked man with a beard being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Suspects in attacks believed to have been carried out by Islamic extremists are typically stripped when officials search for explosive devices.

BREAKING: The suspect who is accused of shooting two National Guardsmen has been identified as an Afghan national, according to NBC News.

The incident is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, according to the outlet.

"The officials said the suspect, who is alleged… pic.twitter.com/LBFgcGkzET

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Metropolitan Police Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said the shooting occurred at 2:15 p.m. when a person “came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members.”

“There were other members that were in the area. They were able to, after some back and forth, able to subdue the individual and bring him into custody. Within moments, members of law enforcement in the area were also able to assist and bring that individual into custody. At this time, as the director mentioned, the National Guard members are being treated at a local hospital.”

Both FBI Director Kash Patel and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser followed up by confirming that the gunman did indeed target the National Guard personnel.

Officials further confirmed that both soldiers were shot in the head and are currently fighting for their lives. Footage from the scene shows one of the wounded guardsmen being airlifted away from the scene on a helicopter that landed not far from the Washington Monument, while additional footage from the immediate aftermath showed responding personnel doing chest compressions on one of the victims.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the attack and vowed that the “animal” who carried out the attack will “pay a very steep price.”

The shooting took place less than a mile away from the White House, though the president is currently in Palm Beach, Florida after leaving the capital for the Thanksgiving holiday late Tuesday night. He is currently scheduled for a call with active duty service members tomorrow and is expected to address the attack then.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that an additional 502 soldiers will be deployed to downtown D.C. in response to the shooting. “This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful,” the secretary said. “But if criminals want to conduct things like this, violence against America’s best, we will never back down.”

This is a developing story, Additional details will be provided as they become available.