The President of the United States, Donald Trump, classified the shooting incident that seriously injured two members of the National Guard, on Wednesday afternoon (11/26), a few blocks from the White House, as an “act of terrorism.” He stated in a press conference held at the end of the day that the arrested suspect is a man from Afghanistan, and held former President Joe Biden directly responsible for the shooter’s presence in the country. He watches:
“This heinous attack was an evil act, an act of hate, and an act of terrorism,” he said. “I can report that, based on the best information available, the suspect in custody is an alien who entered our country from Afghanistan, hell on earth. He was brought in by the Biden administration in September 2021. His status was extended under legislation signed by President Biden – a disastrous president, and the worst in the history of our country.”
During his speech, Trump stated that the incident was a “crime against the entire nation” and expressed his solidarity with West Virginia National Guard soldiers. He announced that “the hearts of all Americans tonight are with these two members of the National Guard and their families,” noting that the country is “praying” for the injured.
“We will not tolerate this kind of attack on law and order by people who should not even be in our country,” he declared. “Now, we must reconsider every foreigner who has entered the United States from Afghanistan under the Biden administration, and we must take all necessary steps to ensure that any foreigner who does not belong here or is of no use to our country is expelled from any country. If they cannot love our country, we do not want them here.”
8 photos
Conditional closure.
1 of 8 Andrew Leyden/Getty Images 2 of 8Celal Gunes/Anatolia via Getty Images3 of 84 of 8Win McNamee/Getty Images) 5 of 8
The site was isolated for police work
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 6 of 8
Among the wounded were two National Guard members
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 7 of 8Win McNamee/Getty Images 8 of 8
The shooting occurred two blocks from the White House
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Read also
-
world
The suspect in the shooting near the White House is an immigrant from Afghanistan
-
world
After the shooting, Trump requested that 500 additional troops be sent to Washington
-
world
Trump’s deputy responds to the shooting near the White House: “Sad”
-
world
Where was Trump when the shooting occurred near the White House?
shooting
The attack occurred in a crowded tourist area near Farragut West station. According to local authorities, the man appeared from around the corner, carried a gun and fired directly at the soldiers.
He was also shot while in custody. Sources consulted by The New York Times identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, 29, who acted alone.
The attack comes amid an increased presence of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., since August, as the federal government mobilized more than 2,000 soldiers from several states to participate in a security operation against crime in the capital.
Earlier, the Governor of West Virginia, Patrick Morrisey, announced the death of the two soldiers, but he corrected the information shortly after, and stated that there was “conflicting data.” There is still no official update on the health status of the victims.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that Trump had ordered 500 additional National Guard members to be sent to Washington, DC.
The case is being investigated by state forces and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is helping to determine the circumstances of the attack.