A CIA spokesperson told CBS News on Thursday that the Afghan suspect in the shooting "previously worked with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar that ended in 2021" following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In a separate statement, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said "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. This individual — and so many others — should have never been allowed to come here. Our citizens and servicemembers deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden Administration's catastrophic failures. God Bless our brave troops." 

CBS News has learned that the Afghan suspect in the shooting led a team in the former Afghan national armed forces that worked directly with U.S. and British forces during the two-decade war in the country.

According to a former Afghan commando who spoke with CBS News on Thursday, Rahmanullah Lakanwal led a unit of Afghan special forces in the south of the country and worked closely with the international troops.

The former commando told CBS News that Lakanwal was left deeply troubled by the death of a close friend and fellow Afghan commander in 2024, whom he said had unsuccessfully sought asylum in the U.S.

A Department of Homeland Security official told CBS News the suspect detained in the D.C. shooting of two National Guard members was paroled into the U.S. on humanitarian grounds in 2021. Federal authorities have identified him as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national. (In some documents, DHS spelled the name Lakamal.)

That was the main legal mechanism the Biden administration used to welcome tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Lakanwal was admitted to the U.S. in September of that year.

Lakanwal later applied for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2024 and his application was granted in 2025, the official said. But his request for a green card, which is tied to the asylum grant, is pending.

As such, he is technically an asylee as of now and is not in the U.S. illegally. 

The Trump administration has paused the processing of all immigration applications for Afghan nationals following Wednesday's shooting of two National Guard members, officials said, after the suspect detained in the shooting was identified as an Afghan national.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Wednesday night that it's enacting an indefinite pause on the processing of all immigration applications filed by Afghan nationals.

"Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols," the USCIS statement obtained by CBS News reads. "The protections and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission."

The Department of Homeland Security has identified the shooting suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who DHS says was admitted to the United States in September 2021, a month after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden," President Trump said in an address Wednesday night.

Read more here.

In a social media post Wednesday night following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., Vice President JD Vance accused the Biden administration of "opening the floodgate to unvetted Afghan refugees." Federal authorities have identified the suspect as an Afghan national who came to the U.S. in September 2021.

"I remember back in 2021 criticizing the Biden policy of opening the floodgate to unvetted Afghan refugees," Vance wrote. "Friends sent me messages calling me a racist. It was a clarifying moment. They shouldn't have been in our country."

Authorities have not confirmed the specific immigration status of the suspect or the conditions under which he was admitted to the U.S.

"We must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country," Vance wrote. "Already some voices in corporate media chirp that our immigration policies are too harsh. Tonight is a reminder of why they're wrong."

A 2022 report from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General found that DHS lacked "critical data to properly screen, vet and inspect" Afghan nationals in August 2021, when the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. 

Former President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he and former first lady Jill Biden are "heartbroken" over the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.

"Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families," he wrote on X.

Former President Barack Obama also denounced the violence, saying it "has no place in America."

"Michelle and I are praying for the servicemembers shot in Washington, DC today, and send our love to their families as they enter this holiday season under the most tragic of circumstances," he said.

In his address Wednesday night, President Trump indicated that all Afghan migrants who were admitted to the United States during the Biden administration would have their U.S. immigration status reexamined, after the president said the suspect in the shooting of the two National Guard members was believed to be an Afghan national who entered the country in September 2021, one month after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan.

"We are not going to put up with these kinds of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn't even be in our country," Mr. Trump said. "We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden. And we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country."

This comes after CBS News obtained an internal federal government memo Tuesday, written on Nov. 21, which stated that the Trump administration had directed immigration officials to review the cases of all refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden.

In the memo, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow instructed agency officials to investigate the cases of refugees who entered the U.S. between Jan. 20, 2021, and Feb. 20, 2025, and potentially reinterview them. 

About 233,000 refugees entered the U.S. between February 2021 and January 2025, according to federal statistics.

By Camilo Montoya-Galvez and Faris Tanyos

In his address Wednesday night, President Trump confirmed that he had ordered the mobilization of another 500 federal troops to Washington, D.C., in response to the shooting of the two National Guard members.

"I have directed the Department of War to mobilize an additional 500 troops to help protect our Capital city," Mr. Trump said.

The Department of War is the Trump administration's preferred term for the Defense Department.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier Wednesday that Mr. Trump had ordered the deployment of the 500 National Guard members.

A U.S. official previously told CBS News that the Army has received the request and will work to fulfill it quickly.  

By Faris Tanyos, Joe Walsh and Eleanor Watson

In a video address Wednesday night, President Trump said the suspect in the shooting of the two National Guard members was an Afghan national who was flown to the United States in September 2021, after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan.

"I can report tonight that based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody was a foreigner, who entered the country from Afghanistan — a hellhole on Earth," Mr. Trump said. "He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021."

The president described the shooting as a "heinous assault," calling it "an act of evil, an act of hatred, an act of terror."

"I am determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price," Mr. Trump said. 

Eyewitness accounts suggest the gunman who opened fire on two National Guard members waited in concealment before striking as they stood outside a Washington, D.C., metro station, multiple sources familiar with the investigation into the shooting told CBS News.

Multiple Guard personnel inside the metro station ran out to assist after hearing shots. D.C. police and Secret Service personnel were nearby and responded immediately, but did not fire shots.

The FBI is the lead agency in the investigation, the sources said.

The attack, meanwhile, is prompting some concern among officials about the widespread deployment of National Guard personnel for domestic security. The shooting has been described to CBS News by several law enforcement officials as "devastating" and "cautionary."

By Nicole Sganga and Jennifer Jacobs

The suspect accused of ambushing two National Guard members outside a metro station in downtown Washington, D.C., was shot by another Guard member, multiple sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News.

The two Guard members who were wounded were posted outside a metro station when a gunman opened fire without warning in what law enforcement sources described as a "clear ambush" and "calculated attack."

The first victim — a female Guard member — was struck immediately and collapsed where she stood, the sources said. She sustained at least two gunshot wounds during the ambush. 

The suspect, who was wielding a handgun, had four rounds in his firearm initially, sources said. After he fired them, he then took the fallen Guardswoman's weapon and used it to continue shooting, striking the second Guard member, the sources said. 

A third Guardsman stabbed the suspect with a pocketknife, while a fourth returned fire and shot the suspect multiple times, ending the attack.

The wounded Guard members were deputized for the deployment but were not operating as law enforcement and did not have arrest powers, the sources said. They were stationed outside the metro stop as part of a high-visibility foot patrol that consisted of presence-based security, not active policing, the sources explained.

By Nicole Sganga and Jennifer Jacobs

The suspect detained in the shooting of two National Guard members is not cooperating with authorities at this time, law enforcement sources told CBS News Wednesday night.

Multiple law enforcement officials previously identified him as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021.

In a video posted to social media Wednesday night, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey called the shooting of the two West Virginia National Guard troops "an act of unspeakable violence." 

Back in August, Morrisey announced West Virginia was deploying between 300 to 400 Guard troops to D.C. in response to the president's efforts to crack down on crime in the nation's capital. 

Morrisey was one of several Republican governors who deployed troops to D.C. at the time.  

"I know the state stands behind the Guard," Morrisey said. "I know the president, who I just spoke to, stands behind these courageous service members."

Multiple law enforcement officials tell CBS News the suspect in the shooting of the two National Guard members is 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021.

The suspect used a handgun to carry out the attack, two law enforcement sources told CBS News.

Read more here.

By Anna Schecter, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Nicole Sganga, Pat Milton

Stacy Walters said she was near 17th Street in a car when she heard two gunshots — "boom boom" — and she noticed small children then others running. Almost instantly law enforcement swarmed the area, she said.

"It's such a beautiful day. Who would do this and we're getting ready for the holidays?" she said.

Nearby, two women who exited the metro station just after the shots were fired said someone told them: "Run."

Emma McDonald and Leila Christopher told the AP that they ran to a cafe and sheltered with others, including someone who told them they'd heard six gunshots in quick succession.

Several minutes later, McDonald saw an EMT vehicle pull up, and then responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood, she said. 

The suspect responsible for shooting two National Guard members in D.C. is believed to be an Afghan national, three law enforcement sources told CBS News.

Law enforcement said the suspect is believed to have acted alone.

By Anna Schecter, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Nicole Sganga

The federal government asked an appellate court on Wednesday to halt last week's ruling that found the National Guard's deployment to the streets of D.C. is likely unlawful.

The emergency motion did not mention Wednesday's shooting of two Guard members in D.C. or cite it as part of its reasoning.

The Trump administration had requested a stay of the lower court's ruling by Dec. 4, either halting it on a temporary basis or while an appeal of the ruling makes its way through the court system.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb found that President Trump lacked the power to deploy the D.C. Guard for "non-military, crime-deterrence missions in the absence of a request from the city's civil authorities." She also found that the deployment of Guard forces from other states wasn't legally authorized. The judge paused her ruling for 21 days pending an appeal.

In Wednesday's filing, the administration argued the monthslong deployment is "plainly lawful," noting that Mr. Trump is commander-in-chief of the D.C. Guard and pointing to federal and local laws that the administration says justify the deployment.

"This is a wholly unjustified incursion into the territory of both the President and Congress," the motion states. "And in the name of vindicating local interests, it threatens to derail a remarkably successful mission that, with the participation and collaboration of D.C. authorities, including the D.C. Mayor, has reduced crime and improved life in our Nation's capital."

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb condemned the attack, posting on social media, "Violence is never the answer and must be swiftly condemned by all."

"The National Guard are volunteers. They sign up to leave their regular jobs and families at a moment's notice to serve their country. This is a heartbreaking day for DC and our nation. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, friends, and fellow Guardsmen," he wrote.

Schwalb filed a lawsuit in September arguing that the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops in the district was unconstitutional.

Law enforcement sources described the attack as "intentional and targeted."

At this point it is unclear if the suspect interacted with the National Guard troops before opening fire.

Jeff Carroll, the executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, described the shooting as an ambush attack in a heavily populated area in the city. Carroll said the troops were on "high visibility patrols" when the suspect walked around a corner around 2:15 p.m., raised a firearm and then shot the two National Guard members. 

"We have reviewed video from the area. It appears, like I said, to be a lone gunman that raised the firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard, and he was quickly taken into custody by other National Guard members and law enforcement members," he said.

After the shots were fired, other National Guard members were able to rush to their colleagues' side.

"There were other National Guard members that were in the area — they were able to, after some back and forth, able to subdue the individual and bring him into custody," Carroll said, adding that other members of law enforcement in the area also provided assistance. 

He said the investigation is in preliminary stages. Law enforcement is investigating all aspects of the suspect and his possible connections, Carroll said.

He said there is currently no other suspect, and that they have found no credible motive at this time.

Congressional leaders and other members of the House and Senate shared messages of support for the victims of the shooting. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said his thoughts and prayers are with the Guard members, adding, "I urge you to keep them in your prayers too."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said his "heart breaks" for the victims and said he's "praying for the wounded National Guardsmen and their families." 

House Speaker Mike Johnson asked Americans to join him in prayer for the Guard members and their loved ones. "The National Guard has done heroic work this year working around the clock to make our nation's capital safe again," he wrote on X. "We are forever grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement and for all those who risk their own lives to protect everyone else."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also said he was praying for the National Guard members. "Thankful for the brave law enforcement officers and first responders who swiftly apprehended a suspect," he wrote on X, adding, "There is no place for violence in America."

"Violence against our men and women in uniform is disgusting," Sen. Rick Scott said. "God be with them and their families." 

Sen. Mark Kelly called the shooting "horrific." He wrote, "I'm thinking of the families of these two National Guard members who lost their lives while serving the day before Thanksgiving."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said the shooting was "heartbreaking" and that she was praying for the families. "Every time I see the National Guard they are so nice and respectful. I've seen them picking up trash on the National Mall. And the ones I've seen have not been armed," she wrote on X.

Rep. Nancy Mace called the shooting "DEVASTATING."

At a briefing Wednesday afternoon, FBI Director Kash Patel said the two National Guard members who were shot are in critical condition.

"Please send your prayers to those brave warriors, who are in critical condition, and their families," he said. "They are here serving our country."  

Patel said the suspect "will be brought to justice" and the crime will be investigated by the FBI with its partners and prosecuted at the federal level. He called the shooting "a matter of national security."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Trump has directed him to ask the Secretary of the Army to send 500 additional National Guard troops to D.C. after the shooting.

Hegseth condemned the shooting and said, "We will never back down. We will secure our capital."

A U.S. official confirms the Army has received the request from Secretary Hegseth for 500 additional Guardsmen and will work to fulfill it quickly. 

Read more here.

By Cara Tabachnick, Eleanor Watson

The suspect in the attack was shot four times, sources told CBS News. 

The suspect was transported by ambulance to an area hospital and is now in police custody, law enforcement said.

West Virginia Gov Patrick Morrisey said on social media he is "now receiving conflicting reports" about the condition of the two National Guard members who were shot. 

Morrisey said in an earlier social media post that the two had died from their injuries. 

He said his office will provide additional updates once they receive more complete information.

"Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community," Morrisey said. 

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is "engaged and assisting" with the investigation into the shooting. 

"Please pray for them and we will update with more information as we are able," Patel said. 

Members of the Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals were also on the scene. 

The National Guard members were shot in an ambush-style attack, two federal law enforcement officials told CBS News. 

The attack became a shoot-out, the officials said, and the suspect was also shot. 

Ambush incidents targeting law enforcement have been on the rise in 2025. 

The shooting appears to have begun near the Farragut Metro station, senior law enforcement officials told CBS News. 

There is no known connection to the White House at this time, the officials said, though the incident occurred just blocks from the North Lawn. 

A senior law enforcement official told CBS News that roughly 10 to 15 shots were fired. 

One victim was transported to the hospital by helicopter, while the suspect was transported by ambulance, the senior law enforcement official said. 

President Trump said on Truth Social that both National Guard members were "critically wounded" in the shooting. They are in separate hospitals, he said. 

Mr. Trump also said the suspect was "severely wounded." 

"God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement," Mr. Trump wrote. "These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!"

The D.C. National Guard told CBS News it is working closely with the MPD and other law enforcement agencies following the incident. 

"The health and safety of our service members is our top priority as we continue to support the citizens and visitors of Washington, D.C.," the Guard said in a statement. 

Thousands of National Guard troops were first ordered to Washington, D.C., in August. President Trump deployed forces to the city as part of a broader crackdown on crime. The deployment, which has been subject to legal challenges, has been extended multiple times and is currently set to run through February 2026. 

National Guard forces have been dispatched to multiple U.S. cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, during Mr. Trump's second term. 

A suspect who allegedly opened fire on the National Guard troops has been injured and transported to an area hospital, senior law enforcement officials told CBS News. The suspect's condition is unknown at this time. 

The Metropolitan Police Department said the crime scene was secured and that a suspect was in custody. 

President Trump has been briefed on the shooting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The president is at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"The White House is aware and actively monitoring this tragic situation," Leavitt said in a statement. 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said two members of the National Guard were shot. She did not share any details on their conditions.

"Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C.," Noem said in a statement. 

"DHS is working with local law enforcement to gather more information."