Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday that 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the alleged shooter of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was likely radicalized after arriving in the United States.
Speaking on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Noem also placed responsibility for his entry and vetting on the Biden administration, even though Lakanwal’s asylum application was approved earlier this year under the current Trump administration.
“The vetting process…happens when the person comes into the country,” Noem told host Kristen Welker on Sunday. She added, “We believe he was radicalized since he’s been here in this country. We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him.”
Newsweek reached out to DHS by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday morning for comment.
Why the Case Is Drawing Attention
Authorities say Lakanwal drove across the country from Washington state to Washington, D.C., where he allegedly shot National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sergeant Adam Wolfe, 24, on Wednesday. Other Guard members then wounded and apprehended him.
All three were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Beckstrom later died from her injuries, while Wolfe is “fighting for his life,” according to officials.
Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported that the National Counterterrorism Center and CIA had vetted Lakanwal before he cooperated with American forces. He was reportedly found to have no ties to terrorist groups, and his CIA identification would have placed him in a “vetted” category during evacuations from Afghanistan.
Lakanwal worked with the U.S. government and the CIA during American military operations in Afghanistan before the U.S. military drawdown. Then-President Joe Biden admitted more than 88,000 Afghans into the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a program offering a pathway for vulnerable Afghan allies who had assisted U.S. troops and diplomatic missions between 2001 and 2021.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 and later applied for asylum in late 2024. His application was approved in April of this year by the Trump administration.
The shooting and Beckstrom’s death prompted a forceful reaction from the White House, including a freeze on all immigration requests for Afghan nationals and a halt on visas for Afghan passport holders.
Noem’s Criticism of Biden and the Vetting Process
On Sunday, Noem argued that the Biden administration bore responsibility for admitting Lakanwal, insisting that key vetting steps would have occurred when he entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome.
When Welker asked whether the Trump administration conducted any vetting as part of approving Lakanwal’s asylum application, Noem said the process was rooted in earlier steps under Biden.
“Joe Biden completely did not vet any of these individuals, did not vet this individual,” Noem said. “[He] waited until he got into the United States, and then that application for asylum was opened under the Joe Biden administration when he was the president in the White House and allowed that to go forward with the information that they provided. That’s the Biden administration’s responsibility. This is the consequence of the dangerous situation he put our country in when he allowed those people to infiltrate our country during that abandonment of Afghanistan.”
Noem went on to describe what she believes is necessary for thorough vetting, noting that such steps were challenging in Afghanistan at the time due to political instability and the U.S. relationship with the Taliban government.
“To do a good job of vetting people, you need to have cooperation of that government that is from their country,” she said. “You have to have a stable government that will give you information, contacts, background information, and biometrics that you may need to identify that individual, their dates of service. All of that vetting information was collected by Joe Biden’s administration, that was used in the process.”
She added that the Trump administration has since broadened vetting standards to include social media content and expanded biometric data.
At the same time, Noem reiterated that investigators now suspect Lakanwal’s radicalization may have occurred after he arrived in the U.S., “through connections in his home community and state.”
“We’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members, who talked to them,” she said. “So far we’ve had some participation. But anyone who has information on this needs to know that we will be coming after you, and we will bring you to justice.”
How Political Leaders Are Responding
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday:
“Crooked Joe Biden, Mayorkas, and so-called ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris really screwed our Country by letting anyone and everyone come in totally unchecked and unvetted!”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X the same day:
“Under President Trump, we are putting the American people, our safety and national security FIRST. We are putting an end to idiotic policies that allowed millions of illegal aliens and hundreds of thousands of foreigners into our country unvetted. We are pausing asylum decisions until further notice and DHS is overseeing a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from all 19 high-risk countries of concern.”
What Comes Next
The motive behind Lakanwal’s alleged actions remains under investigation. Officials say more information will be released as the inquiry continues and as law enforcement further examines potential radicalization and any associates who may have influenced or supported him.
