Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot by an assailant blocks away from the White House and have been seriously injured. A suspect, who is said to be an Afghan national, was also shot and is in custody. President Trump, the FBI, the CIA, the Attorney General and the Mayor have commented on the shooting.

FBI director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said that the guard members had been critically injured and were in the hospital. Attorney General, Pam Bondy told Fox News that national guard members had “come through surgery”, on Thursday morning.

Law enforcement officials have identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He has been living in Washington state with his family.

The 29 year old suspect entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program under the Biden administration for Afghans who had helped the US before it withdrew from the country.

John Ratcliffe, the director of CIA said in a statement that the suspect had worked with the US government, including the CIA. The agency director also said that the suspect had worked “ as a member of a partner force in Kandahar.”

On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump posted a video message on social media calling for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who came to the nation under the Biden administration.

Trump said, “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.” He also said that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”

There is no motive for the shooting as yet. However, Jeffrey Carroll, an executive assistant DC police chief said that shooter “came around the corner” and began firing at the troops, after video footage was reviewed by investigators. 

The police also said that other troops in the area had run over after hearing the gunfire and had held down the assailant after he was shot.