Thanksgiving Eve Shooting Near White House Sparks Federal Investigation

Federal authorities are piecing together the motive behind a Thanksgiving-eve shooting that left two National Guard soldiers critically injured just blocks from the White House.

The attack, described by officials as a deliberate “ambush,” targeted soldiers deployed as part of a security operation initiated months earlier under President Donald Trump. 

The gunman, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan immigrant, was shot and subdued after exchanging fire with security personnel. 

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation as authorities work to uncover what prompted the violent assault and whether the suspect acted alone.

Trump, who was at his resort in Florida at the time of the attack, released a prerecorded video statement late on Wednesday calling the shooting “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.” He said his administration would “re-examine” all Afghans who came to the U.S. during Joe Biden’s presidency.

The shooting unfolded at midday outside a subway station in a bustling commercial area within a few blocks of the White House.

Source: Reuters