Two US guardsmen wounded near White House, Trump says shooter will pay "steep price"

Two members of the U.S. National Guard were shot and wounded near the White House, according to American news sources cited by Caliber.Az.

CNN noted that several people were injured in the shooting, including at least one Guardsman.

The incident occurred at the intersection of 17th Street and I Street in Washington, D.C. The city’s police department announced on X that one suspect had been detained.

The suspect has since been identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, CBS News reported. According to the outlet, Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021. Witnesses said the man had been hiding and waiting in cover before opening fire on the National Guard members.

In an address following the attack, U.S. President Donald Trump described the assault on the Guardsmen as proof that the migration policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, had created a threat to America’s security.

“The previous administration allowed 20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world, from places you don’t even know. No country can tolerate such a risk to its existence,” Trump said.

He added that his administration must do everything possible to deport “any foreigner from any country” who does not belong in the United States.

Commenting further on the Washington shooting, Trump confirmed that the detained suspect had arrived from Afghanistan, which he called “a hellhole on earth.” He described the attack as a monstrous act of “evil, hatred, and terrorism” and “a crime against humanity.”

In a separate statement on his Truth Social page, Trump said the wounded National Guard members are in critical condition. He added that the shooter was also severely injured and would be punished.

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” the president wrote.

By Khagan Isayev