FBI Director Kash Patel has made a name for himself for repeatedly putting out inaccurate information about major news events. Previously, he made this mistake regarding the arrest of Charlie Kirk’s shooter. Patel had claimed that the culprit had been caught when in reality there were no arrests made when he made the claim.
He repeated the same pattern of mistakes when he commented on the Washington, D.C., shooting on Thanksgiving. As reported by Reuters, “Two National Guard soldiers were shot on Wednesday near the White House in what officials described as a targeted ambush, and the suspect was in custody after suffering gunshot wounds during the attack.”
Now, talking about the suspect, Patel said, “Make no mistake, they will be brought to justice,” Patel said. “Since this is an assault on a federal law enforcement officer, this will be treated at the federal level as an assault on a federal law enforcement officer…” However, his comments came after a police chief confirmed that the suspect was already in target and it was just one person. The difference between Patel’s comments and reality showed how he continuously makes mistakes while providing updates on crucial cases.
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According to a Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the suspect has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan from Washington. He came to the US in 2021 and assisted the country during the Afghanistan war. However, he then overstayed his visa and therefore his presence in the country was illegal when he shot those guards.
President Donald Trump was in Florida when the attack took place and his response came almost an hour after the incident. Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.”
His post further mentioned, “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!”
TRUMP CALLS SHOOTER “ANIMAL” VOWS TO KICK OUT ALL “ILLEGAL ALIENS”.
Video captures chaotic aftermath of downtown D.C. shooting of two National Guard troops near White House; suspect allegedly an immigrant from Afghanistan is in custody. pic.twitter.com/5WBlMnOdmx
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) November 27, 2025
Besides Patel, West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey also made a grave mistake as he wrongly claimed that the two guards who had been shot were dead, when they were alive in the hospital. Morrisey wrote, “It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, DC have passed away from their injuries. These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country. We are in ongoing contact with federal officials as the investigation continues.”
He further added, “Our entire state grieves with their families, their loved ones, and the Guard community. West Virginia will never forget their service or their sacrifice, and we will demand full accountability for this horrific act.”
However, he then backtracked on his comments just minutes after his post and mentioned that there had been some “conflicting reports.” The shooting is being considered as an act of terrorism as Reuters reported and Trump has further ordered the deployment of 500 more soldiers in Washington as part of his immigration crackdown.
