FBI searches properties after two National Guard members shot near White House

Federal agents on Thursday executed search warrants at multiple properties in Washington state and San Diego in an investigation into an attack that wounded two National Guard members near the White House, authorities said. The probe, led by the FBI with involvement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., has been described by officials as a terrorism investigation as they work to determine motive and possible links to foreign groups.

Investigators seized electronic devices and interviewed relatives of the suspect as they sought to reconstruct movements and communications leading up to the shooting. The suspect, an Afghan national, was taken into custody and charged with assault with intent to kill, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who also said federal prosecutors may upgrade charges to murder if either victim dies. The two guardsmen were identified by Pirro as the wounded service members, though officials have not released further identifying information pending family notification and medical updates.

Authorities said the suspect had previously worked with U.S. backed forces in Afghanistan and had been admitted to the United States under a resettlement program. That background has focused attention on how screening and vetting were conducted for individuals evacuated or resettled from Afghanistan in recent years, and it has prompted immediate policy responses from the White House.

The administration announced a pause in immigration processing for Afghan nationals and ordered a review of recent asylum approvals, measures intended to reassure the public and provide time for a review of security protocols. Homeland Security officials are expected to coordinate with the FBI and the Department of Justice as the probe continues, and lawmakers from both parties signaled they would seek briefings on screening standards and program oversight.

The case underscores institutional tensions between humanitarian resettlement commitments and national security responsibilities. Resettlement programs have moved thousands of vulnerable people out of conflict zones in recent years and rely on multilayered vetting processes involving multiple agencies. Critics of those programs say the incident reveals gaps in oversight, while civil liberties advocates warn against broad policy rollbacks that could stigmatize entire communities and jeopardize protection for those fleeing persecution.

Beyond immigration policy, the attack has prompted immediate reviews of security procedures around key government sites and for personnel assigned to ceremonial and protective duties. Military and law enforcement commanders will likely reexamine deployment patterns and force protection measures for National Guard members who perform duties in public spaces.

Investigators said their work is ongoing and that the searches were part of efforts to assemble evidence, establish motive, and determine whether the suspect acted alone or in concert with others. The results of forensic analysis of seized electronics, and the outcomes of interviews with relatives and associates, will shape prosecutorial decisions and inform policy discussions that are already unfolding on Capitol Hill and within the administration.