The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Thursday that launched a wide-ranging investigation into a “terrorist attack” following the shooting of US National Guardsmen near the White House in Washington. This was reported by FBI Director Kash Patel, writes TASR according to reports from AFP and AP and CNN.
- The FBI has opened an investigation into a terrorist attack near the White House.
- The attacker was Afghan immigrant Rahmanullah Lakanwal, living in the USA since 2021.
- The shot members of the National Guard are in critical condition.
- The perpetrator used a .357 caliber revolver during the attack.
- The attacker faces a charge of assault with intent to kill.
According to US authorities, the perpetrator of Wednesday’s shooting was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan immigrant who came to the United States in 2021. The suspect is said to have driven across the entire United States – from Bellingham, Washington on the West Coast to Washington, D.C., on the East Coast.
The FBI is currently investigating how and why an Afghan national traveled to the capital to shoot National Guard members. The office has already interviewed everyone in the suspect’s home and conducted several house searches. Officials of the office will also investigate the suspect’s contacts with American forces in Afghanistan, as well as his acquaintances in the US and abroad.
Shot by members of the National Guard in the meantime identified as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, prosecutor Jeanine Pirrová added. Both underwent surgery, but remain in critical condition.
According to findings, the attacker used a .357 caliber revolver when shooting. The shooter faces charges of assault with intent to kill. Pirrová added that the final indictment will depend in part on whether the members of the Guard survive. If the soldiers who were shot die, the man will be charged with first degree murder. Attorney General Pam Bondi also hinted on Fox News Thursday that the government could seek the death penalty, CNN reported.
