The brazen daytime capturing of two Nationwide Guard members within the nation’s capital by a person authorities mentioned is an Afghan nationwide has raised a number of questions.
That features the situation of the wounded troops and particulars in regards to the suspect and his motive for the assault a day earlier than Thanksgiving.
Right here’s what we all know thus far, and what we don’t know:
Situation of the Nationwide Guard members
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser mentioned the 2 Guard members had been hospitalized in crucial situation.
They belong to the West Virginia Nationwide Guard, which deployed a whole bunch of troops to the nation’s capital as a part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting mission that concerned taking on the native police division.
There have been almost 2,200 Guard members in D.C. for the mission.
Unknown thus far are the names and extra particulars in regards to the two troops who had been wounded.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially posted on social media that two of his state’s Guard members had been killed. He later walked that again, saying his workplace was “receiving conflicting experiences” about their situation. Morrisey has not elaborated.
Bowser known as the assault a “focused capturing.”
Jeffery Carroll, an government assistant D.C. police chief, mentioned video reviewed by investigators confirmed the assailant “got here across the nook” and instantly began firing on the troops. The suspect opened fireplace with a revolver, based on a regulation enforcement official.
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Not less than one Guard member exchanged gunfire with the shooter, one other regulation enforcement official mentioned. Each weren’t approved to debate the matter publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity.
Troops ran over and held down the shooter, Carroll mentioned, and he was taken into custody. Authorities consider he was the one gunman.
Carroll mentioned that it was not clear whether or not one of many Guard members or a regulation enforcement officer shot the suspect and that investigators thus far had no data on a motive.
The suspect’s wounds weren’t believed to be life-threatening, one of many officers mentioned.
The suspect and his pathway to the US
The suspect is believed to be a 29-year-old Afghan nationwide who entered the U.S. in September 2021 and has been residing in Washington state, two regulation enforcement officers and an individual accustomed to the matter instructed The Related Press.
He got here to the U.S. by means of Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of 1000’s of Afghans after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the nation, officers mentioned.
Legislation enforcement recognized the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, however authorities had been nonetheless working to completely verify his background, they mentioned. The folks couldn’t focus on particulars of an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity.
Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 4 years in the past along with his spouse and 5 kids, based on his former landlord Kristina Widman.
They had been amongst about 800 Afghan refugees that settled in Washington state underneath Operation Allies Welcome with the monetary assist of the U.S. authorities. Amongst people who partnered with federal businesses to sponsor the Afghan households was World Reduction, a faith-based group that helped the refugees with discovering housing, employment coaching and language courses as they settled within the Seattle space.
It’s unclear how Lakanwal might need traveled to the nation’s capital, which is about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) away.
Extra Nationwide Guard troops
Quickly after the capturing, Trump mentioned he would ship 500 extra Nationwide Guard troops to Washington, D.C. It’s not clear the place the extra troops would come from.
As of early November, the D.C. Nationwide Guard had the biggest quantity on the bottom with 949. Along with West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama additionally had forces within the capital early this month.
A federal choose final week ordered an finish to the Guard deployment but additionally put her order on maintain for 21 days to permit the Trump administration time to both take away the troops or enchantment.
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