What we know and don’t know about the shooting of two National Guard members in D.C

WASHINGTON (AP) — The daytime shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital by a man identified by authorities as an Afghan national has raised multiple questions.

He watches: Officials identify two National Guard members fired in D.C. shooting, say suspect is Afghan national

Officials released the names of the detained suspect and the guard members who were shot, but the motive behind the attack is not yet clear.

Here’s what we know so far, and what we don’t know:

Conditions of National Guard members

The Guard members, identified as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was taken to the hospital in critical condition after the shooting on Wednesday.

They belong to the West Virginia National Guard, which has deployed hundreds of troops to the nation’s capital as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-crime mission that has included taking over the local police department.

There were approximately 2,200 Guard members in the capital to do the job.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially posted on social media that two Guard members in his state had been killed. But he later backtracked, saying his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition. Morrissey did not clarify this.

How did the attack happen?

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, drove cross-country to launch an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson handgun, said Jeanine Pirro, US Attorney for the District of Columbia.

Video reviewed by investigators showed the attacker “rounded the corner” and immediately began shooting at troops, according to Jeffrey Carroll, executive assistant to the D.C. police chief.

A law enforcement official said at least one Guard member exchanged gunfire with the shooter. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Carroll said that the forces ran over and stopped the shooter and he was detained. Authorities believe he was the lone gunman.

Carroll said it is not clear whether a Guard member or law enforcement officer shot the suspect, and investigators do not yet have information on a motive.

One official said the suspect’s wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.

The suspect is on his way to the United States

Lakhanwal, 29, entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Welcoming Allies, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.

This initiative brought nearly 76,000 people to the United States, many of whom worked alongside American troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. The program has drawn intense criticism from President Donald Trump and other Republicans over what they said were gaps in the vetting process and speed of admission. Supporters said the initiative provided a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban retaliation.

John Ratcliffe, director of the spy agency, said in a statement that the suspect, before arriving in the United States, worked with the US government, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar.”

Ratcliffe did not specify the nature of Lakmal’s work, but said the relationship “ended shortly after the chaotic evacuation” of US service members from Afghanistan.

Lakmal lives in Washington state with his wife and five children, according to the property’s former owner, Christina Weidman.

Lakmal currently faces charges of assault with intent to murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a violent crime, Pirro said. Pirro added that fees could be raised.

“We are praying that they survive and that the capital charge is not first-degree murder. But make no mistake, if they don’t, it definitely will be,” she said.

More National Guard troops

Shortly after the shooting, Trump said he would send an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. It is not clear where the additional forces will come from.

As of early November, the D.C. National Guard had the largest number on the ground, with 949 members. In addition to West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama deployed troops to the capital earlier this month.

A federal judge last week ordered the Guard deployment to end but suspended her order for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to either withdraw troops or appeal.

Associated Press journalists Alana Durkin Richer, Eric Tucker and Michael R. Sisak, Mike Balsamo, Michael Biesecker, Anthony Izaguirre, and Jesse Bedine.