Donald Trump Calls Washington Shooting ‘Act Of Terror’, Vows 'Animal' Shooter of National Guard Members Will 'Pay A Steep Price'

Washington: US President Donald Trump issued a strong response after two West Virginia National Guard members were critically injured on Wednesday afternoon after a gunman opened fire just blocks from the White House in what officials described as a ‘targeted ambush attack’. The shooting took place near a metro station in downtown Washington, DC, triggering panic, heavy police deployment, and a major federal response. 

‘The Animal…Will Pay A Very Steep Price’: US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump, who is spending Thanksgiving in Florida, reacted strongly to the attack in a Truth Social post, promising harsh consequences for the shooter. 

He wrote: “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. 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!

Trump Calls Washington DC Shooting An 'Act of Terror'

Delivered a strong address from Florida after two National Guard members were shot at point-blank range near the White House on the eve of Thanksgiving, US President Donald Trump called the ambush ‘an act of terror’. He also said that the attack was ‘an act of hatred, a crime against our entire nation and humanity’. Trump once again vowed that the shooter would face ‘the steepest possible price’.

“Two members of the National Guard serving in Washington, DC were shot at point-blank range in a monstrous, ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House. This heinous assault was an act of evil, an act of hatred, and an act of terror. The hearts of all Americans tonight are with those two members of the West Virginia National Guard and their families,” the US President asserted. He added that although the Nation is filled with ‘anguish and grief’, it is also filled with “anger and ferocious resolve'. 

US President Links Suspect to Afghan Entry in 2021, Hits Out At Joe Biden

Talking about the suspect, Donald Trump said that, as per the information from the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect in custody was a foreigner who entered the US from Afghanistan. According to Trump, the man had been flown into the US by the Biden administration in 2021 and later had his status extended under legislation signed during that period. 

‘This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation,” Trump said, alleging that the previous administration ’let in 20 million unknown foreigners from all over the world'.

He promised that the United States would now ‘re-examine every single alien who had entered the country from Afghanistan under Biden’ and ensure the removal of anyone who does not belong there or add benefit to the country.
“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he added.

Suspect Identified as Afghan National Who Entered US In 2021

The law enforcement officials identified the suspected gunman as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the United States in September 2021 and had been living in Washington state. Officials said that he used a handgun in the attack and was also shot during the incident, though his injuries reportedly were not believed to be life-threatening.

Lakanwal had arrived in Washington's Bellingham with his wife and five children in 2021, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman. According to an official, he entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program to resettle thousands of Afghans who assisted the US during the Afghanistan war and were vulnerable to reprisals from the ruling Taliban after the US withdrawal. He was processed through Washington Dulles International Airport on September 8 of the same year.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23, 2025, according to the official, three months after President Donald Trump took office. The shooter has no criminal history.

According to the police, video evidence showed that the attacker ‘came around the corner’ and immediately opened fire on the National Guard members. 

According to DC police officials, nearby National Guard members rushed toward the gunfire scene and managed to hold down the shooter after he was wounded. Reportedly, there were no additional suspects, and the attacker came as a lone gunman.

The wounded NG members were rushed to two separate hospitals, with one reportedly shot in the head. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as first responders performed CPR on one of the soldiers and treated the other on a sidewalk covered in shattered glass.

Federal Response Intensifies; 500 More National Guard Members Deployed At DC

Soon after the deadly attack on the National Guard members, the Donald Trump administration ordered an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the president directed him to send the reinforcements immediately. 

“We will make America totally safe again,” Donald Trump said in his address. “And we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice, if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven’t already done that," he added.

Roughly 2,200 troops are already part of the joint task force operating in the capital, deployed earlier as part of the administration’s crackdown on violent crime.

The troop presence has been controversial and is currently the subject of court challenges. A federal judge recently ordered a drawdown but delayed enforcement of the ruling for 21 days.

Witnesses Describe Panic, Gunfire, and Resuscitation Efforts

Local resident Michael Ryan, who was at the scene, told AP reporters that he heard two rounds of gunfire and saw people running for safety. He described seeing National Guard members attempting to resuscitate one of the wounded soldiers. “They were trying to resuscitate one of them… it looked very serious. One wasn’t moving. The other looked like he was moving a little," he narrated the horror. Ryan further said that the second round of gunshots made it clear the situation was not construction noise, as some initially thought.

Investigation Underway, Motive Still Unknown

Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack. With the suspect in custody and no additional threats identified, the focus now shifts to understanding what led to the brazen shooting in one of the most secure areas of the United States. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the Guardsmen remain in critical condition.

Also Read: Washington DC Shooting | Afghan Migrant Identified as Suspect After Attack on National Guard, What We Know So Far