Kash Patel Pledges To Hunt Down National Guard Gunman Despite Suspect Already Being In Custody

FBI Director Kash Patel vowed to catch the person responsible for gunning down two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., despite the shooter being in custody.

Patel was speaking at a news conference after two National Guard soldiers were critically injured just blocks from the White House around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

“As you can see behind me, we have assembled the full force of both the federal and state and local law enforcement agencies to bring bear all of our resources to make sure we find the perpetrators responsible for this heinous act,” Patel told reporters.

“And make no mistake, they will be brought to justice.”

Metropolitan Police Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll told Wednesday’s press conference that the suspect had been detained at the scene.

He was apprehended by other National Guard troops responding to the sound of gunshots and was taken to hospital for treatment of bullet wounds.

The shooter has since been identified by Homeland Security as Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

“At approximately 2:15 this afternoon, members of the D.C. National Guard were on high visibility patrols in the area of 17th and I Street, Northwest, when a suspect came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members,” Carroll said.

“There were other members that were in the area, they were able to—after some back and forth—able to subdue the individual and bring them into custody. Within moments, members of law enforcement in the area were also able to assist and bring that individual into custody.”

U.S. President Donald Trump, who was at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida at the time of the shooting, described the shooter as an “animal” on Truth Social.

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Trump wrote.

In a video statement Wednesday evening, Trump further described the incident as an act of terror.

He said that Lakamal entered the U.S. under the Biden Administration’s Operation Allies Welcome program in 2021 following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Around 76,000 Afghans entered the U.S. under the initiative after the Taliban seized control, with many of the migrants having worked alongside American troops.

All immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals have now been stopped, effective immediately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a statement.

“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the statement read.

Trump described Afghanistan as “a hellhole on earth” during his live address.

“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country,” he added.

The Department of War has also been instructed to mobilize an additional 500 troops to Washington, D.C., in the wake of the incident.

“We will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice, if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven’t already done that,” Trump said.

The two National Guard troops remain in a critical condition and were on deployment from West Virginia, Patrick Morrisey, the state’s governor, said.

Morrisey initially announced that both members had died on X before confirming there were “conflicting reports” and the troops were actually in critical condition.

“We are now receiving conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members and will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information,” he posted.

“Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community.”

National Guard troops were deployed to Washington, D.C., in August after Trump signed a national emergency declaration, claiming crime was out of control in the city.

That deployment was recently extended until February and will now be bolstered by the extra troops War Secretary Pete Hegseth is preparing.

About 950 members of the D.C. Guard currently stationed around the city are part of a larger task force of more than 2,300 troops from at least eight states, including about 400 from West Virginia.

Police data indicates that since the deployment, homicides have reduced, with 62 reported incidents between May 25 and November 25 this year, compared to 107 for the same time period last year.

Overall offenses also went down, with about 6,500 crimes recorded since August 12 compared to roughly 9,500 in the same period in 2024.