National gaurdsmen shot in dc live or die
Executive summary
Available reporting shows two West Virginia National Guard members were shot near the White House on Nov. 26, 2025 and, after mixed early statements, officials say both are alive and in critical condition; multiple outlets identify the suspect as Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal and describe the attack as a targeted ambush [1] [2] [3]. Initial conflicting claims about deaths were walked back by officials and governors; law enforcement has a suspect in custody and federal agencies are assisting the investigation [4] [5] [3].
1. What happened — the basic, corroborated timeline
Multiple outlets reported that two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in downtown Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House on Nov. 26, 2025; the shooting occurred during a patrol and has been described by officials as a targeted ambush [2] [3]. Law enforcement quickly detained a suspect, later identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and federal agencies including the FBI, ATF and Secret Service joined the probe [3] [6].
2. Conflicting early statements and the “dead or critical” confusion
Early social-media posts and statements, including an initial tweet from the West Virginia governor, appeared to say the two guardsmen had died, but that claim was subsequently walked back and mainstream reporting by outlets such as The Washington Post, CNN and others describe the service members as alive and in critical condition [4] [5] [1]. Raw Story and Deadline note that early reports contained inaccurate or updated information about fatalities and that officials later clarified status as critical, not deceased [7] [4].
3. Who the suspect is, and how sources describe his background
News organizations repeatedly identify the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal and report he is an Afghan national who came to the U.S. during the chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal; some outlets add he previously worked with U.S. forces [7] [3]. Several political leaders and officials — including President Trump and members of his administration — highlighted the suspect’s nationality while calling for scrutiny of immigration or vetting policies [8] [5].
4. What officials say about motive, method and evidence
Prosecutors and law enforcement described an ambush: the suspect allegedly used a .357 Magnum, shot one guard member who fell and then fired at the second, and drove cross-country with Washington, D.C., reportedly as the intended target, per the U.S. Attorney’s account [3]. The FBI is seizing electronics and searching properties as part of a motive probe, but available reporting does not yet present a definitive motive; law enforcement continues to investigate [3].
5. Political reactions and competing narratives
The incident quickly became politicized: some leaders framed it as a failure of past immigration policy and called for stricter vetting of Afghan entrants, while others focused on the need for law enforcement and federal coordination; coverage shows both angles in parallel, without a settled factual conclusion about motive [8] [5] [6]. Reporters and commentators also criticized early misstatements and partisan uses of preliminary information [9] [4].
6. What about the dead-or-alive question specifically?
Contemporary reporting cited here shows the two Guardsmen are in critical condition and alive, as confirmed by officials such as the FBI director and state authorities; earlier claims of their deaths were retracted or replaced by subsequent reporting [2] [1] [4]. No source in the provided set affirms the Guardsmen have died; in fact several sources emphasize they remain critically injured [9] [1].
7. Ongoing actions and immediate policy responses
Federal actors announced operational responses: a temporary halt to some Afghan immigration requests was reported, prosecutors signaled possible pursuit of the death penalty if applicable, and the Pentagon moved to deploy additional National Guard troops to D.C. in response to the attack [3] [10] [11]. These steps reflect short-term security and political reactions rather than judicial findings about motive or culpability.
8. Caveats, limits of current reporting, and what to watch next
Available sources provide consistent basics but differ on early details and political framing; they note investigation work remains active and motives are unproven. Watch for official charging documents, medical-status updates from hospitals or family, and FBI findings from seized electronics and interviews to move the public record from initial claims to substantiated facts [3] [1].
Bottom line: as of the cited reporting, the two National Guardsmen were shot and are critically injured but alive, a suspect is in custody and under federal investigation, and the episode has already sparked both law-enforcement actions and sharp political debate [2] [3] [5].