Afghan national opens fire outside White House : 2 security guards injured

The accused shooter Rehmanulla Laknawal (on the left)

Washington DC (USA) – Two National Guard security personnel were injured in a shooting outside the White House, the official residence of the US President. The incident occurred on 26 November at around 2:15 p.m. local time. The shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been arrested. The 29-year-old accused is a Afghan national. He arrived in the US in 2021 under ‘Operation Allies Welcome’. His visa had expired, and he was living in the US illegally.

1.Police officials said that before the shooting, Lakanwal had stopped near the Farragut West Metro Station. He went to a corner and first shot a female National Guard member in the chest and then in the head. After that, he fired at another guard. A third guard nearby managed to tackle Lakanwal to the ground, but by then he had already fired multiple shots.

2.According to authorities, Lakanwal acted alone. The motive behind the attack is still unknown.

Entry of Afghan nationals suspended

Following this attack on National Guard soldiers, the United States has suspended the entry of Afghan nationals into the country indefinitely.

Every Afghan national will be re-screened

US President Donald Trump said that the previous administration allowed 2 crore unknown individuals to enter the country without proper verification. He said that everyone arriving from Afghanistan will now be re-screened, and steps will be taken to deport all foreign nationals who are not beneficial to America or who do not love the country. “America will never bow to terrorism,” he said.

• Republican lawmakers express anger after the attack

• Islam is a problem

After the incident, some lawmakers from President Donald Trump’s Republican Party expressed strong anger. Congressman Brandon Gill questioned, “Why do such incidents keep happening repeatedly? How was a person originally from Afghanistan living in such a highly sensitive area of the capital?” These lawmakers said, “How many more times will we have to hear ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is great) in the US before we admit that Islam is a problem?” This statement sparked controversy on social media.

Congressman Randy Fine expressed a strong reaction, stating that the accused was not only living illegally in America but that this attack was a direct challenge to America’s security. Public anger is justified, he said, and strict action must be taken against foreign nationals living illegally in the country.