Two national guard members were critically wounded in attack near White House – key US politics stories from Wednesday 26 November at a glance
Two West Virginia national guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after they were shot near the White House in Washington. Local officials and federal authorities called the shooting a “targeted” attack and have a suspect in custody.
The shooter was later identified in multiple media reports as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a man from Afghanistan. Lakanwal is said to have entered the United States in September 2021, and been living in Washington state, law enforcement officials told the Associated Press and other outlets.
In response, Donald Trump has ordered more troops to the nation’s capital.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that Trump has asked for 500 additional troops to be deployed to Washington. “This happened just steps from the White House and it will not stand and that’s why President Trump has asked me – and I will ask the secretary of the army to the national guard – to add 500 additional troops, national guardsmen, to Washington DC,” Hegseth said.
