The fire on two National Guardsmen near the White House was opened by an Afghan who entered the U.S. in 2021 and lived in Washington state, report CNN, AP, and other media. Donald Trump called the attack a terrorist act, writes DW.
The man who shot at two U.S. National Guardsmen near the White House in Washington is a native of Afghanistan. This was reported on the morning of Thursday, November 27, independently by the AP and CNN, both citing sources in law enforcement. Similar information was disseminated by other American media.
Later, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the Department of Homeland Security "is confident that the suspect entered the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2021." In a special statement, Trump called the attack on the National Guard servicemen "an act of terror."
As CNN reported on its website, the FBI found a match between the initial data on the attacker's identity and the data of a man who immigrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan in August 2021 and lived in Washington state. One unnamed source told the network that authorities checked the fingerprints of the detained suspect and thus learned his name.
In 2024, the man applied for asylum in the U.S. and received it in early 2025, according to the publication. According to the AP, the attacker is named Rahmanullah L. It is noted that law enforcement agencies continue to work to obtain additional confirmation of their findings.
Attack on National Guardsmen near the White House
On November 26, an unknown assailant opened fire on two U.S. National Guardsmen in Washington, at Farragut Square, located near the White House. At the time of publication, both victims were in critical condition in the hospital.
Reports from some media about their deaths were not confirmed. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, who soon after the attack also wrote that both National Guardsmen had died, later retracted those words, explaining that his office received conflicting information about their condition. It was from West Virginia that the National Guardsmen were deployed to service in Washington.
According to AP, one of the victims was shot in the head. The attacker was also injured during the shootout; however, as agency sources indicated, there is no threat to his life.
