A shocking shooting near the White House has left two U.S. soldiers critically injured and the nation on edge. The incident has sparked fear and debate across Washington, D.C., especially as President Donald Trump moves quickly to respond.
The Incident
The shooting happened around 2:15 p.m. near a metro station, just 900 meters from the White House. Two U.S. soldiers were patrolling the area when a man suddenly ambushed them and opened fire. Other soldiers nearby rushed to the scene and returned fire, hitting the shooter four times before he was subdued.
An eyewitness, Michael Ryan, described what he saw:
“So, I walked up and I saw, um, they had a person pinned on the ground yelling at him to stay down. Uh, and there was, uh, broken glass in the bus stop. Uh, and then they moved like it was some sort of construction vehicle or something along those lines and they moved the vehicle and, uh, that's when we saw, um, two National Guards on the ground and one they were trying to resuscitate.”
Both soldiers were taken to a nearby hospital. They are just 20 and 24 years old — new recruits who had taken their oaths only a day before the shooting. Now, they are fighting for their lives.
Who Was the Shooter?
The suspect has been identified as Rahman Lakanval, a 29-year-old Afghan man. He came to the U.S. in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a program created to help Afghans who had supported the U.S. during the war — such as translators, soldiers, or informers.
Reports say Lakanval once worked with the CIA in Afghanistan. He later applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted in 2025. Investigators are still trying to understand his motive. For now, authorities have called him a “criminal alien.”
Trump’s Reaction
President Donald Trump wasted no time addressing the nation. He called the shooting an act of terrorism and promised strong action.
Donald Trump: “This heinous assault was an act of evil, an act of hatred, and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity. As President of the United States, I am determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price. This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.”
Trump has ordered additional troops to Washington, D.C. The city already has about 2,000 National Guard soldiers, but Trump says it’s not enough. He claims the city is being “overwhelmed by criminals and gangs” and has unilaterally decided to deploy 500 more troops.
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of War, echoed Trump’s decision:
“Uh, we will never back down. We will secure our capital. We secure our cities. In fact, this happened just steps away from the White House. It will not stand. And that's why President Trump has asked me and I will ask the Secretary of the Army to the National Guard to add 500 additional troops, National Guardsmen to Washington, D.C.”
Fear and Fallout
The public’s concern is understandable. A man from Afghanistan attacked two American soldiers without warning. But while people are scared, Trump has used this tragedy to push for stricter immigration measures.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden. And we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country. If they can't love our country, we don't want them. America will never bend and never yield in the face of terror.”
The Bigger Picture
Following Trump’s statement, the U.S. has paused all Afghan immigration requests while it conducts a “security review.” This means two things:
- All Afghans who came after 2021 will be reviewed again, regardless of their current visa or refugee status.
- The Afghan immigration process has been halted for now.
There are around 265,000 Afghans currently waiting for U.S. visas — including 180,000 who worked for the U.S. government. Many of them risked their lives to help American forces during the war. Now, they face uncertainty once again.
This isn’t the first time Afghans have felt betrayed by U.S. policies. After 9/11, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan even though most of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia. The war lasted 20 years, killing over 70,000 Afghan security personnel and 46,000 civilians. It ended when Trump struck a deal with the Taliban in 2020 — a move that helped the group regain power.
