Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically wounded after being shot near the White House. Officials have described the attack as a “targeted shooting”.

United States President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as a “heinous assault” and “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror”.

The shooting occurred just one day before the Thanksgiving holiday in a busy tourist area.

Here is what to know about the shooting, the alleged attacker, and what’s next:

What happened in Washington, DC?

Police say a lone suspect opened fire on a National Guard member at about 2:15pm local time (19:15 GMT).

The suspect, who was also shot during the confrontation, was taken to a hospital for treatment and remains under police custody.

“It appears to be a lone gunman who raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Jeffery Carroll, executive assistant chief, told reporters.

According to a CNN report, the suspect walked up to three National Guard members who appeared unaware of him until he opened fire. He shot one guard, then another, before standing over the first victim and appearing to attempt another shot. At that point, the third guardsman returned fire.

Trump was in Florida at the time of the incident.

Approximately 2,200 National Guard members have been deployed across the US capital, including 925 from the DC National Guard and more than 1,200 from other states.

What is the National Guard?

The National Guard is a reserve branch of the US military that can be called up during emergencies at home, such as natural disasters or civil unrest, and can also support missions overseas.

It consists of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard and has about 431,000 members, making it the second-largest military force in the country.

Each US state and territory, as well as Washington, DC, has its own National Guard units. These units answer both to state leaders and the federal government. This differs from the regular US military, whose active-duty members serve full-time under federal command.

Two soldiers wounded on Wednesday were members of West Virginia’s National Guard, Governor Patrick Morrisey said.

Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary halt to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, DC, ruling that the move was likely unlawful. Following the shooting, the Trump administration sought to have that decision overturned.

Where did the shooting take place?

The shooting took place in Farragut Square – a tourist-heavy area located near a busy transit centre and the White House.

Designed by Pierre L’Enfant in 1791, Farragut Square is a key spot in downtown Washington, DC.

The area, where lampposts are wrapped in wreaths and bows for the holiday season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a coffee shop, as well as two stops on the Washington metro system.

Who is the suspect?

Investigators have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Lakanwal arrived in the US from Afghanistan in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome – a programme launched under the Joe Biden administration to resettle Afghans after the Taliban regained control following the US withdrawal.

“I can report tonight that 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 said in a video message.

What is Operation Allies Welcome?

Operation Allies Welcome was a US programme started in 2021 to help Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban took control. Many of these Afghans had worked with US troops as interpreters, drivers, or support staff and feared they could be targeted. Others, such as journalists and women’s rights activists, were also at risk.

Under the programme, tens of thousands of Afghans were transported to US military bases, where they underwent medical checks, received vaccinations, and completed immigration processing. They also underwent security screening before being relocated to communities across the country.

According to the Congressional Research Service, about 76,000 Afghans entered the US through the initiative, which lasted roughly a year. The programme later faced criticism from some Republicans who argued the vetting process was insufficient.

What’s next?

In response to the attack, Trump announced plans to expand deportation efforts and said his administration would re-examine Afghans who arrived after the Taliban takeover. “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan,” he said.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it is pausing the processing of all Afghan immigration requests “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”

Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that an additional 500 National Guard members, from a state yet to be named, would be sent to Washington, DC, to bolster security and reassure the public.

What have been the reactions?

In his statement, Trump said he was “determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price”.

“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,” he said.

Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition that assists Afghans seeking to immigrate, said the organisation believes that the attacker should face “full accountability and prosecution”. But he warned that the incident should not be used to “demonise the Afghan community”.

Former President Joe Biden said he and his wife, Jill, are “heartbroken” by the shooting.

“Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families,” Biden wrote on X.

Former US President Barack Obama  shared a post on social media condemning the attack, and saying, “Violence has no place in America.”

General Steven Nordhaus, the head of the National Guard, said he was returning to Washington, DC, from Guantanamo Bay, which he was visiting to spend Thanksgiving with US troops at the military base.