Authorities say the suspected gunman who shot two West Virginia National Guardsmen Wednesday, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who received humanitarian parole after fleeing Afghanistan, a source familiar with the situation told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Lakanwal allegedly shot the National Guardsmen in the head with a revolver at the Farragut West Metro Station in Washington, D.C., roughly a mile from the White House. Lakanwal received humanitarian parole from the Biden administration after fleeing the Taliban takeover, according to Fox News. (RELATED: Gunman Who Shot National Guardsmen Identified As Afghan National)
NEW: Authorities identify the suspect in the National Guard shooting as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
Sources tell FOX News Lakanwal entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under a Biden administration effort following the withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, his… pic.twitter.com/krNk33oBA7
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 27, 2025
Lakanwal reportedly entered the United States in the aftermath of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, multiple outlets reported.
The suspect shouted “Allahu akbar!” before opening fire with a revolver, according to journalist Julio Rojas. One National Guardsman on the scene stabbed the gunman with a pocketknife before another one fired multiple shots that struck the assailant, Rojas reported.
President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to combat crime in the District of Columbia on Aug. 11, days after Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer Edward Coristine, known by the moniker “Big Balls,” was severely injured when he attempted to stop a mob from carrying out a carjacking.
MPD reportedly has the suspect in custody while the FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, according to NBC News. The FBI declined to comment when reached by the DCNF.
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