CIA Director John Ratcliffe has made shocking claims about the suspect accused of opening fire on two National Guard members yesterday (26 November), as he said the man 'should have never been allowed to come here'.
On Wednesday, just a few blocks from the White House, a 'targeted attack' took place, which saw two members of the National Guard 'critically injured'.
A suspect has been taken into custody and was also shot in the incident. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The shooting took place on the corner of 17th and H Streets in the north-west quadrant of the capital at around 2.15pm local time.
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President Donald Trump labelled the suspect an 'animal' and warned he would 'pay a very steep price'.
The National Guard is a reserve force within the US military serving as a dual mission, acting under the authorities of state governors and the federal government, with most members being part-time personnel who usually train one weekend a month and two weeks per year.
What do we know about the suspect?
The suspect was revealed to be Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who entered the US following its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 under the Biden administration.
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He arrived under 'Operation Allies Welcome', though it was alleged by the director of the CIA that Lakanwal had actually worked with a number of US government entities, such as the CIA itself.
Lakanwal was a member of a partner force in Afghanistan, CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News, explaining: "In the wake of the disastrous Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation.
"The individual - and so many others - should have never been allowed to come here.
"Our citizens and service members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s catastrophic failures."
The publication revealed that the FBI is taking the lead on the investigation, as other sources claim that the shooting is being treated as a possible act of international terrorism.
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'An act of terror'
FBI officials stated that the two National Guardsmen are in critical condition, adding that one of the Guardsmen 'was shot at point-blank range in a monstrous ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House'.
The president said it was 'an act of terror', a direct attack on the US and 'a crime against humanity', as he sent his thoughts and prayers out to those affected.
"As President of the United States, I am determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price."
Topics: Donald Trump, Terrorism, US News
Joshua Nair