Officials Identify Victims In D.C. Shooting, Detail Tragic Incident in News Conference

Officials have just revealed more information about the shooting that left 2 National Guard members in critical condition in D.C. … confirming the identity of the suspect and detailing what happened just blocks away from the White House.

The FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office, and the National Guard just updated the public about the tragic Washington, D.C. incident … officially confirming the shooter as a 29-year-old Afghan named Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said the 2 National Guard members — 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom — were ambushed by Lakanwal, who was armed with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver … adding after the shooting, their fellow guardsmen quickly swooped in to subdue the suspect. She says she believes Wolfe and Beckstrom were sworn in about 24 hours before the shooting.

Pirro says the 2 remain in critical condition after undergoing surgery, and their families are with them … adding Lakanwal remains at a hospital under heavy guard. She notes that no additional people were harmed in the shooting.

As far as a background on the suspect, Pirro says he is believed to have a wife and 5 children in Washington state … and allegedly drove across the country with the intent to end up in D.C. She says Lakanwal allegedly came into the country under Joe Biden‘s Operation Allies Welcome — a program led by DHS to resettle vulnerable Afghans after the Taliban regained control in 2021.

Pirro says Lakanwal will be charged with 3 counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence — with him facing 15 years under the assault with intent to kill charge. She noted if the guardsmen do succumb to their injuries, the charge will become first-degree murder.

FBI director Kash Patel also spoke during the presser, saying this is an ongoing investigation of terrorism, and they’ve already conducted countless interviews with witnesses … as well as with people living in Lakanwal’s home. He noted Lakanwal had connections to U.S. forces in Afghanistan, as well.

As we reported, the soldiers were on “high visibility patrol” when the suspect allegedly approached and shot the two victims — there were multiple reports citing unnamed sources that the suspected shooter was Lakanwal.

Wolfe, one of the National Guard members shot on Wednesday, was identified by his former high school after the tragedy … saying their community was “deeply saddened” to learn what happened to one of their alumni.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey originally tweeted Wednesday that the 2 guardsmen were dead … but sent out another tweet 20 minutes later, saying his team was receiving “conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members and will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information.”