The Afghan national who shot two National Guardsmen in Washington had worked with the U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan before the latter evacuated him to the United States, U.S. media reported today.

According to the Fox News television network, 29-year-old Ramanoallah Lakanwal had worked with the U.S. Army and the CIA in Afghanistan and arrived in the United States in September 2021, one month after the chaotic withdrawal of American forces from the country. He was officially granted asylum this year.

The attack took place yesterday afternoon in the center of the American capital, where hundreds of Army Reserve personnel have been deployed since August and conduct mainly foot patrols, by order of Donald Trump and against the wishes of local Democratic authorities.

The timeline of the attack

The attack, which occurred a few hours ago, was the worst carried out against the National Guard since its units began to be deployed earlier this year in cities governed by Democrats.

At around 14:15 local time (21:15 Greek time), the suspect “arrived at a street corner, raised his weapon, and fired at the National Guardsmen” who were patrolling, said Jeffrey Carroll, an officer of the capital’s police force, during a press conference, describing a perpetrator who acted “alone.”

Other Guardsmen neutralized him, “subdued” him, and “arrested” him, he added. The shots “were targeted,” noted Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, in the same press conference.

The two servicemembers are in “critical condition,” emphasized FBI Director Kash Patel in front of cameras, clearing up hours-long confusion regarding their fate.

Patrick Morrisey, the governor of West Virginia, where the two Guardsmen served, had earlier said on X that they had succumbed to their injuries, before correcting his statement.

Washington police noted that so far they are not aware of “any motive.” The White House, for its part, accused the Democratic opposition of “demonizing” the military, because it has strongly criticized their deployment and accuses President Trump of abusing his power.

At the scene of the attack, in a neighborhood mainly filled with offices two blocks from the White House, AFP journalists saw a uniformed man being carried away on a stretcher.

“Biden brought him here,” says Trump – Block on Afghan migrants

Donald Trump condemned Wednesday’s event as a “terrorist act” and promised to further toughen his immigration policy. In his nearly five-minute address, the U.S. president confirmed that the suspect in the attack, who has been arrested, had migrated from Afghanistan in 2021.

“The suspect who was arrested is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan,” whom “the Biden administration brought here in September 2021,” the Republican head of state said from Florida, where he traveled for Thanksgiving.

He added that his administration must now “re-examine” the files of all who migrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan while his predecessor Biden was in office.

Shortly after, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced via X that it is halting the processing of immigration applications from Afghan nationals indefinitely.

President Trump lashed out against immigration, which he called the “greatest threat to national security,” accusing his predecessor of bringing “millions” of foreigners into the U.S. He referred to “an evil act,” “an act of hatred,” “a terrorist act,” “a crime against our entire people,” and “a crime against humanity.”

However, as the German News Agency notes, the facts of the case do not support this last characterization. The concept of a crime against humanity refers to a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population in execution of, or to further, a policy of a state or an organization with quasi-state authority, according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court—not isolated incidents.

Tense climate

Wednesday’s attack occurred against the backdrop of an extremely tense climate in the United States, where in early September conservative influencer Charlie Kirk—an ally and promoter of President Trump among youth—was murdered. President Trump himself narrowly escaped death when an assassination attempt against him was carried out during his 2024 campaign.

In recent months, the president has ordered the National Guard deployed in turn to Los Angeles, Washington, and Memphis, in each case ignoring opposition from local authorities—all three cities governed by Democrats—arguing that the measure was necessary to combat crime and support immigration enforcement (ICE).

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yesterday that another 500 troops will be sent to Washington; their number will thus exceed 2,500. President Trump confirmed he ordered the reinforcements.

The capital’s municipal government had gone to court seeking the withdrawal of the National Guard. A court ruled in its favor last week, but its decision included a 21-day suspension, lasting until December 11, to allow the federal government time to appeal.