Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically wounded in a Washington D.C. shooting. The incident prompted former President Donald Trump to condemn the attack, linking the Afghan suspect to Biden administration policies, and led the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to indefinitely halt all Afghan immigration requests.
Two National Guard members from West Virginia were shot and critically injured in Washington D.C. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who reportedly entered the U.S. in September 2021 via Operation Allies Welcome. Former President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as a 'heinous assault' and 'crime against humanity,' using the incident to criticize the Biden administration's immigration policies and calling for a re-examination of all Afghan immigrants. Following these remarks, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an indefinite halt to processing all immigration requests for Afghan nationals, effective immediately. Senior White House advisor Stephen Miller also stated that the administration would deport anyone not deemed to 'add benefit' to the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and D.C. Joint Task Force Commander Col. Larry Doane praised the injured Guardsmen and law enforcement's response. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau is traveling to D.C. An Afghan advocacy group, AfghanEvac, condemned the attack but warned against using it to target the broader Afghan community. A handgun believed to be used in the attack was recovered at the scene.
