Operation Allies Welcome: How DC shooting suspect came to US from Afghanistan

Washington; Multiple law enforcement sources have identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, as the suspect in the brazen shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House on the eve of Thanksgiving.

Lakanwal, who entered the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, was shot during an exchange of gunfire and taken to a local hospital under heavy guard. Investigators believe he acted alone.

What is Operation Allies Welcome?

On August 29, 2021, President Joe Biden tasked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with leading Operation Allies Welcome, a civilian-led initiative to manage the resettlement of Afghan evacuees. The program provided temporary housing, sustenance, and support within the United States, coordinating efforts through the Unified Coordination Group, which included the military, state and local governments, NGOs, and private sector partners.

Between July 2021 and March 2022, over 73,000 Afghans were paroled into the US, with many assisted by private citizen groups called Sponsor Circles. Evacuees were generally granted two-year parole, with the option to extend, and could apply for asylum, Special Immigrant Visas, or other eligible immigration statuses. As of 2025, more than 97% of Afghan asylum claims had been approved.

Trump terms the incident ‘an act of terror’

US President Donald Trump reacted strongly to the incident, calling it “an act of terror” and highlighting the suspect’s Afghan background based on information from Homeland Security. Speaking from Florida, Trump said: “Earlier today on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, two members of the National Guard serving in Washington DC were shot at point-blank range in a monstrous, ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House. This heinous assault was an act of evil and an act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation; it was a crime against humanity. The hearts of all Americans tonight are with those two members of the West Virginia National Guard and their families.”

He added that while the nation mourns the victims, it is also filled with “righteous anger and ferocious resolve.” Trump vowed swift justice, stating: “The animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price. I can report tonight based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan- a hellhole on earth.”

Trump alleged that Lakanwal was brought into the US by the Biden administration in 2021, “on those infamous flights… his status was extended under legislation signed by President Biden”, and warned that the attack underscored “the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.” He announced plans to re-examine every Afghan national admitted under Biden-era programs and ensure the removal of those “who don't love America.”

Regarding the immediate response, the President said: “We are not going to put up with these kinds of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn't even be in our country. We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or adds benefit to our country. If they can't love our country, we don't want them. America will never bend or yield in the face of terror. At the same time, we will not be deterred from the mission the service members were so nobly fulfilling.”

Trump also announced an immediate deployment of 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, stating: “We will make America totally safe again, and we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven't already done that.”

The shooting occurred roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Law enforcement sources said Lakanwal ambushed the guards, firing at point-blank range before being subdued by troops in the area. At least one of the guards returned fire during the incident.

Trump concluded by calling for public support and prayers for the injured soldiers: “The Guards were serving their duty to protect the nation, when they were gunned down in a savage attack. Say a prayer this Thanksgiving for them.”