Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the Washington, D.C., shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members by an Afghan immigrant has validated his prior warnings about unvetted refugee resettlement.
The shooting occurred Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Guard members were hospitalized in critical condition.
A suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
The suspect was identified as Rahmanullah Lakamal.
The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.
In a post on X, Vance said, "I remember back in 2021 criticizing the Biden policy of opening the floodgate to unvetted Afghan refugees. Friends sent me messages calling me a racist.
"It was a clarifying moment. They shouldn't have been in our country."
Vance urged swift political action.
"Many of our voters will demand not just words, but action, and this is an entirely appropriate response," he said in another post on X.
"We will first bring the shooter to justice, and then we must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country.
"Already some voices in corporate media chirp that our immigration policies are too harsh. Tonight is a reminder of why they're wrong."
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said, "The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price.
"God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. 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 Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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