A motive in the shooting of two West VirginiaNational Guard memberswho were deployed to the nation's capital remained unclear as federal authoritiesaccused an Afghan nationalof ambushing troops in what they said was a "targeted" attack.
The National Guard members were part of a "high-visibility patrol" near the White House on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 26, when the suspect came around the corner and opened fire, according to Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll. After a "back-and-forth exchange," Carroll said other troops subdued and detained the shooter.
The two wounded Guard members were in critical condition at local hospitals, FBI DirectorKash Patelsaid. They have not been publicly identified.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey called the attack "an act of unspeakable violence."
2 National Guard troops shot near White House in Washington, D.C.
Officials said the shooter appeared to have acted alone. Both PresidentDonald Trumpand Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noemhave confirmed that the suspect entered the U.S. from Afghanistan in 2021 under a Biden-era program.
Trump has ordered500 additional National Guard troopsto be deployed to Washington. Thousands of troops havealready been deployedin the capital as part of the president's immigration and crime crackdown targeting Democratic-led cities.
What we know:Trump's National Guard deployments around the US
Trump declares the shooting as 'act of terror'
In a speechfrom Palm Beach, Florida, where he is spending the Thanksgiving holiday, Trump said Nov. 26 the Department of Homeland Security "is confident" the suspect being held in connection with the shooting entered the United States from Afghanistan. He declared the shooting a "heinous assault" and an "act of terror."
The president repeatedly used anti-immigrant rhetoric and reiterated that the suspect in the shooting will pay the "steepest possible price." He called Afghanistan "a hell-hole on Earth" and said the suspect was "flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021."
Trump claimed that the Biden administration let in "20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners" and said the U.S. must "re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden."
Following his speech, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that processing of immigration requests for Afghan nationals "is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols."
Graphics:How the DC National Guard shooting unfolded
Suspect identified as Afghan national
Theidentity of the suspecthas not been made public by law enforcement officials. Reuters, citing an anonymous official, reported that investigators identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national from Washington state.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. on aspecial visa program for Afghanswho assisted the U.S. during the Afghanistan war and were vulnerable to reprisals from the ruling Taliban after the U.S. withdrawal, the official told Reuters. But Lakanwal overstayed his visa and is in the country illegally, the official said.
In apost on X, Noem said the suspect came to the U.S. from Afghanistan in September 2021 under a Biden administration program called Operation Allies Welcome.
US pauses immigration applications from Afghan nationals
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced after the shooting that it was pausing all immigration applications from Afghan nationals.
"Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols," the agency said ina post on Xon Nov. 26.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:National Guard DC shooting: Motive behind violent attack unclear