Two members of the National Guard were shot and critically injured in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The two victims, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, have been identified as members of the West Virginia National Guard, and were deployed to the capital this week as part of orders issued by President Donald Trump in August to send National Guard troops to the city to combat an alleged spike in crime.

During a press conference Thursday morning, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro identified the alleged gunman as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who at one point worked with the CIA in one of its paramilitary groups also known as “Zero Units.” According to the New York Times, a childhood friend of Lakanwal’s said the violent nature of the unit he worked with took a toll on him. “When he saw blood, bodies, and the wounded, he could not tolerate it,” the friend said. Lakanwal was granted asylum under the Operation Allies Welcome program, which initially granted him temporary parole status. In 2024, he applied for asylum and was only approved this past April.

During the press conference, FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters the Bureau was treating the case as an “ongoing investigation of terrorism.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday evening that they would be deploying at least 500 more National Guard troops to D.C. On Thursday, President Trump announced that he’d be reviewing all asylum cases approved under Biden. Lakanwal allegedly drove across the country from Bellingham, WA, where he resided with his wife and children.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a vocal critic of Trump’s National Guard deployments, once again criticized the move, saying, “These young people should be at home in West Virginia with their families.” Pirro pushed back and went on to reiterate the Administration’s support for the deployments, characterizing the city as besieged by violent crime.

The shooting took place on Wednesday around 2:15 p.m. local time at 17th and I Street NW, not far from the White House. The White House was briefly locked down with a condition red alert, which The New York Times notes signifies a possible threat to life. That was downgraded to orange, meaning “high risk,” after the suspect was detained.

President Donald Trump is not currently in Washington D.C., having left for Palm Beach, Florida last night. On social media, Trump wrote, “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price. God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”

More than 2,000 troops were deployed to D.C. this summer after Trump made the controversial move to take over the city’s police department and activate the National Guard amid claims of skyrocketing crime. City officials had disputed this claim, while the federal government claimed in January, before Trump took office, that crime was at a three-decade low.

Trump’s National Guard deployment in D.C., and elsewhere, has faced heavy criticism, as well as challenges in the courts. Just last week, a federal judge in D.C. ruled that the deployment was likely unlawful, but paused the ruling from taking effect until Dec. 11 to avoid operational disruptions.

This is a developing story.