President Donald Trump said the “animal” who shot two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday will “pay a very steep price.”
The White House was placed in lockdown on Wednesday afternoon after a shooter opened fire on the soldiers near the president’s residence.
The Metropolitan Police’s Jeffrey Carroll said it appears the shooter acted alone but did not reveal the suspect’s name. He said the two guardsmen remain in critical condition.
It cleared up confusion after West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said in a post that both service members passed, but then walked it back, stating he had been given conflicting information about the members’ conditions.
Law enforcement sources later identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, as the suspect, CBS and NBC reported.
Local officials said the suspect came around the corner, raised a firearm and allegedly started shooting at the two service members in what appeared to be a targeted attack.
Other members of the National Guard then subdued the suspect, who is also in the hospital.
The update came after the president’s own post about the shooting.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He continued: “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
While the motive remains unclear, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the president asked for the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC.
“We will never back down. We will secure our capital. We will secure our cities,” Hegseth declared.
Vice President JD Vance said the shooting was a “somber reminder” that soldiers were the “sword and shield” of the United States.
The reports of the shooting came in just after 2:30 p.m. ET.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that two guardsmen were shot and that her department was working with local law enforcement to gather more information.
It took place just a few blocks from the White House. The Treasury Department was also placed in lockdown on Wednesday afternoon.
Witnesses heard gunfire near the Metro station near Farragut Square, a busy intersection just a short walk from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
It was unclear if there was more than one shooter.
“Critical Incident: MPD is on the scene of a shooting at 17th and I Street, NW. Please avoid the area. Updates to come,” the Metropolitan Police Department wrote on X at 2:42 p.m. ET. “Please avoid the area as MPD and our partners work to secure the scene.”
Less than half an hour later, the police said in an update that the scene was secure and one person was in custody.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Daily Beast that they were “actively monitoring this tragic situation” and that Trump had been briefed just before the president also posted about it.
Trump is in Palm Beach, Florida, with First Lady Melania for the Thanksgiving holiday. The couple traveled there from Washington on Tuesday evening. Trump spent Wednesday at his golf club.
The Daily Beast has contacted the National Guard for comment. The FBI is also on the scene.
“Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community,” Morrisey wrote on X.
The National Guard has been on the streets of Washington, D.C. since mid-August when Trump declared a crime emergency and vowed to make the nation’s capital safe.
Since then, service members have been patrolling the streets and conducting beautification activities such as removing trash and scrubbing sidewalks.
The president had repeatedly declared Washington was safe again and people were suddenly able to visit restaurants and enjoy the city without living in fear despite the reality on the ground that the vibrant nation’s capital had long been open for business.
