D.C. Ambush by Former CIA-Backed Afghan Partner Sparks Terror Probe and Nationwide Freeze on Afghan Immigration
Shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal
Executive Summary
The ambush shooting of two West Virginia National Guard soldiers near the White House on November 26 by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal is very likely to be prosecuted as an act of terrorism and has already triggered major shifts in U.S. immigration and security policy. Federal officials say the 29 year old, a former member of CIA supported units in Kandahar who resettled in the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, targeted the troops during a high visibility foot patrol. The attack occurred amid a contested National Guard deployment ordered by President Trump and immediately prompted a federal lockdown response, a request for 500 more Guard troops in Washington, and an indefinite halt to all Afghan immigration processing.
Analysis
The attack almost certainly reflects intentional targeting of uniformed National Guard personnel, and investigators are treating the incident as terrorism even as the suspect’s motive has not yet been confirmed. The close range ambush, attempt to continue shooting with a seized service weapon, and the location blocks from the White House highlight both vulnerability and symbolic impact.
Officials say the gunman rounded a corner near the Farragut West Metro station, raised a .357 revolver, and “ambushed” two Guard members, striking a female soldier who collapsed and was shot again while on the ground.
Law enforcement reports indicate the assailant took her weapon and used it to shoot the second soldier until a third Guard member returned fire and subdued him; both victims remain in critical condition.
Federal agencies, including the FBI’s joint terrorism task force, responded immediately, and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced plans to pursue terrorism charges along with the death penalty or life imprisonment.
The White House entered temporary lockdown and nearby buildings sheltered in place, showing that authorities viewed the incident as more than a local crime event.
Lakanwal’s background as a CIA affiliated Afghan special forces commander is already fueling political claims of systemic vetting failures, even as available reporting shows no extremist ties and no criminal history. His military past, personal losses, and stress related to resettlement appear more consistent with individual grievance than coordinated foreign plotting.
The CIA confirmed that Lakanwal served with a partner force in Kandahar and had worked with U.S. and British troops before the 2021 withdrawal.
DHS officials say he entered the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome in September 2021, was granted asylum in April 2025, and had a pending green card application, with no criminal record reported.
A former Afghan commando told journalists Lakanwal was deeply affected by the 2024 death of a close friend who was denied asylum, suggesting personal trauma that may have worsened after resettlement.
Relatives said he lived in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children and had been working for Amazon.
The Trump administration is using the incident to justify an aggressive tightening of immigration policy and an expansion of the National Guard presence in Washington. These moves will heighten political and humanitarian tensions, especially for Afghan partners still seeking safe relocation, while reinforcing long standing concerns that highly visible Guard deployments increase their exposure to targeted attacks.
President Trump labeled the shooting “an act of terror,” vowed to re examine every Afghan admitted since 2021, and ordered 500 more Guard troops to Washington beyond the roughly 2,000 already deployed.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services halted all Afghan related immigration processing, including asylum, green cards, and Special Immigrant Visas, leaving thousands in legal limbo abroad and inside the United States.
Oversight reports previously flagged data and process errors in Operation Allies Welcome but did not identify systemic security failures, even as the program admitted approximately 77,000 Afghans who underwent layered vetting.
The attack occurred as a federal judge ruled the Washington Guard deployment likely illegal, citing limits on presidential power and risks to public safety, though the order was stayed temporarily.
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