Pam Bondi says DC guard shooter faces terrorism charges, death penalty if victims die
🚨 BREAKING: A livid AG Pam Bondi says the Afghan national will get the DEATH PENALTY if the two troops don't make it out alive
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 27, 2025
Good.
"If something happens, I will tell you right now, I'll tell you early - we will do EVERYTHING in our power to seek the death penalty against… pic.twitter.com/GxWse8OC6t
WASHINGTON, DC: Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday, November 27, that the US planned to charge the suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, DC, with terrorism and seek life in prison.
Bondi said the severity of charges would depend on the victims’ prognosis. If either of the critically wounded soldiers died, the administration would move to pursue the death penalty.
Suspect identified as Afghan national who entered in 2021
Bondi told Fox News that the gunman in custody was 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021.
“We’re evaluating everything,” she said, adding, “The most important thing you can do today is pray.”
BREAKING: The Afghan National Terrorist, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who shot members of the National Guard near The White House, worked with the CIA as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/FUMjsfNXPA
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 27, 2025
The shooting occurred as the West Virginia National Guard troops were on patrol just blocks from the White House.
The suspect was subdued after another guardsman returned fire and apprehended him, officials said.
Victims reportedly critical after surgery
Bondi confirmed that the two victims, a man and a woman, had undergone surgeries, but offered no further details on their conditions.
“I’m not going to talk about their conditions right now. I know their families are with them,” she said.
The woman guard had volunteered to work during the Thanksgiving holiday, Bondi added.
Guard deployment under legal challenge
Several hundred National Guard troops had been deployed across downtown Washington under orders from President Donald Trump.
A federal judge had recently ruled the deployment was likely unlawful but allowed time for an appeal, meaning troops could remain in the District for now.
Vetting tightens as Trump orders additional troops
Following the shooting, the administration said that it was pausing all immigration cases involving Afghan nationals “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.” Bondi described the suspect as a “monster who should not have been in our country.”
In a video address from Florida released Wednesday night, Trump said that the US “must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden.” He also ordered an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington.
