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A deadly National Guard Troops Shooting just two blocks from the White House has shaken Washington, D.C. and prompted an immediate and fierce response from Donald Trump. 

The attack left one National Guard member dead. And another was critically wounded, marking one of the most violent incidents near the executive mansion in recent years. Authorities confirmed the suspect, an Afghan national, is now in custody. The shooting occurred amid heightened federal and military presence in the capital.

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A Targeted Attack Steps from the White House

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, gunfire erupted around 2:20 p.m. ET at the intersection of 17th and H Streets NW—an area just moments from the White House gates.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X that she was asking for prayers “for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington, D.C.”

Authorities later identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national living in Washington state. The suspect was also hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries.

The two victims—members of the West Virginia National Guard—were part of a “high-visibility patrol” assigned as part of ongoing federal crime-fighting operations ordered by the administration.

One Guard member was reportedly shot in the head, according to an anonymous source speaking to the Associated Press.

Donald Trump Responds With Strong Words

Moments after news of the National Guard Troops Shooting broke, Donald Trump issued a fiery statement on Truth Social.

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen… will pay a very steep price,” Trump said.

“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement… I am with you!”

Trump was not in Washington at the time, having traveled with Melania Trump to Palm Beach for the Thanksgiving holiday. But his administration reacted swiftly.

Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed the urgency, writing:

“Federal agents are on the scene of the horrific shooting… PRAY for our DC National Guard.”

One Guard Member Dies, Another Critical

President Donald Trump later announced late Thursday that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had succumbed to her injuries. He also said Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.

Both soldiers had been deployed in Washington since August as part of Trump's expanded federal operations, which included oversight of local police activity and mass Guard deployments across the city.

The West Virginia National Guard confirmed their service histories:

• Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, from Webster Springs, WV, enlisted in June 2023
• SSG Andrew Wolfe, 24, from Martinsburg, WV, enlisted in February 2019

Massive Federal & Military Response in the Capital

In the hours after the shooting, a flurry of emergency vehicles filled the streets. Helicopters were spotted landing on the National Mall, and teams from the Secret Service and ATF moved swiftly across the scene.

Trump subsequently ordered 500 additional National Guard troops to the capital, joining thousands already deployed in connection with ongoing immigration and crime crackdowns targeting major Democratic-led cities.

Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area as federal agencies continue investigating.

For ongoing updates, readers can follow:

• Washington, D.C., Shooting: National Guard Troops Hit Near White House
• What we do and don’t know about the shooting of 2 National Guard members in D.C. | PBS News
• National Guard DC shooting: Sarah Beckstrom dies after violent attack