National Guard shooting near White House: What we know about suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal so far

The shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. He came to the US in 2021, under Operation Allies Welcome.

Two members of the National Guard were shot on Wednesday in a busy area near the White House, putting the building into lockdown with President Donald Trump away in Florida.

Trump administration official said the suspected shooter had been transported to a hospital with gunshot wounds. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

Here is what we know so far about the shooter:

• The shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.

• Lakanwal came to the US in 2021, under Operation Allies Welcome, and settled in Bellingham, Washington, as per media reports.

• He was shot four times after attacking the National Guard members. Lakanwal is yet to reveal the motive behind the attack.

• Quoting law enforcement sources, CNN reported the suspect appeared to have deliberately targeted the Guard soldiers.

Trump is at his resort in Palm Beach ahead of Thanksgiving holiday, while US Vice President J D Vance is in Kentucky.

In a social media post, Trump called the suspected shooter an "animal" who would "pay a very steep price" and praised the National Guard.

The shooting unfolded near Farragut Square, a popular lunch spot for office workers just a few blocks away from the White House.

National Guard soldiers have been in Washington since August, when Trump deployed them to the streets as part of his contentious immigration and crime crackdown targeting Democratic-led cities.

As of Wednesday, there were about 2,200 National Guard troops in Washington, including contingents from the District of Columbia as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama.

(With Reuters inputs)