The FBI has launched an investigation into the terrorist attack. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, from Afghanistan, traveled across the US before the attack on the National Guard in Washington.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Thursday that it has opened a wide-ranging investigation into a “terrorist attack” after the shooting of US National Guard members 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.
- FBI investigation into terrorist attack near the White House has begun.
- The suspect is 29-year-old Afghan immigrant Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
- The attacker was traveling from Bellingham to Washington, USA.
- The shooter faces charges of assault with intent to kill.
- The shot members of the National Guard are in serious condition.
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 allegedly drove across the US – from Bellingham, Washington, on the West Coast to Washington, D.C., on the East Coast.
Motives of the attack
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.
The National Guard members who were shot have since been identified as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, prosecutor Jeanine Pirr added. Both underwent surgery, but remain in critical condition.
The case and possible charges
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.
