Cross-Country Pursuit of Violence: Afghan National Traveled from Washington State for National Guard Ambush
In a chilling revelation that has stunned law enforcement, officials confirm that the suspect charged in the ambush shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., drove across the entire country from Washington state with the express intent to carry out the attack.
The man identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, now faces multiple felony charges, including three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The violence erupted on Wednesday afternoon, just blocks from the White House, when Lakanwal allegedly ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard who were on high visibility patrol near a mass transit station. Investigators have described the incident as a “clear ambush” and a “calculated attack.” The two service members were gravely wounded in the daylight shooting and remain in critical condition.
A Journey of Thousands of Miles
The sheer distance the suspect traveled underscores the premeditated nature of the assault. Lakanwal reportedly drove from Bellingham, Washington state, all the way to the nation’s capital. Authorities executed a search warrant at his last known address in Washington state as part of the ongoing investigation, seizing numerous electronic devices.
The attack only ended when a third, uninjured National Guard member returned fire, striking and subduing the attacker. The suspect was taken into custody and is currently hospitalized with wounds that are not considered life threatening.
Complex Background Raises Questions
The suspect’s background has quickly become a central point of national debate. Lakanwal was paroled into the United States in September 2021 under the “Operation Allies Welcome” program, which resettled thousands of vulnerable Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal. He had a decade long history of working alongside American forces in Afghanistan, serving in the Afghan army and collaborating with U.S. government entities, including the CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar. His asylum application was reportedly granted in 2025.
Despite his history of collaboration with the U.S. military, the sudden, violent act has prompted immediate and heated political response. President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as an “act of terror,” and the Secretary of Homeland Security quickly cited the suspect’s entry via the resettlement program as a point of concern. Soon after the shooting, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the indefinite suspension of all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals pending a review of security and vetting protocols.
The shooting, which targeted troops deployed as part of a monthslong anti-crime push in the city, has only intensified the public debate surrounding both immigration policies and the controversial use of the National Guard in domestic policing roles. As the investigation continues, authorities are working to determine a definitive motive for the brutal, cross-country journey that ended in an ambush near the nation’s most symbolic landmark.