Authorities are still working to determine a motive for an Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House last week.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been charged with offenses including first-degree murder in connection with the Washington, D.C., shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically injured Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both of the West Virginia National Guard. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, said Lakanwal drove from Washington state to carry out what she described as an “ambush-style” attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
According to the Associated Press, Lakanwal had struggled in the years since arriving in the United States after working with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, having difficulty adapting and keeping steady employment. The outlet cited emails from a community member who had raised concerns about his mental health and behavior long before the shooting.
Why the Case Is Drawing National Attention
In the aftermath of the attack, the Trump administration has moved to tighten legal immigration, halting all asylum decisions and temporarily pausing the issuance of visas for individuals traveling on Afghan passports.
The shooting has also renewed questions about security in the nation’s capital. President Donald Trump previously deployed National Guard members to help address crime in Washington, D.C., and his administration has now ordered an additional 500 Guard members to the city.
Key Facts About Lakanwal and His Resettlement
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal had worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan, including with the CIA.
He entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era initiative that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans who supported American forces during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration and, according to #AfghanEvac — a group that assists Afghans who helped U.S. troops — his asylum was granted in April this year by the Trump administration. He settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and their five young sons.
Republicans, including Trump, have criticized the program, arguing that vetting has been insufficient and that admissions have moved too quickly.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press that authorities believe Lakanwal “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, who were his family members,” she said, without offering additional evidence to support the claim.
Warnings and Red Flags Before the Shooting
The Associated Press reported that an unnamed community member sent two emails to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants — a nonprofit that provides services to refugees — expressing fears that Lakanwal was becoming suicidal.
The emails described him cycling between long periods of isolation and sudden, extended cross-country drives.
“Rahmanullah has not been functional as a person, father and provider since March of last year, 03/2023. He quit his job that month, and his behavior has changed greatly,” the person wrote in a January 2024 email.
He sometimes spent weeks in his “darkened room, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife or older kids,” the email continued.
The community member, who requested anonymity while cooperating with the FBI investigation, told the AP they feared Lakanwal might harm himself but had not seen signs he would become violent toward others.
What Happens Next
Trump has labeled the shooting a “terrorist attack” and faulted the Biden administration for allowing Afghans who worked with U.S. forces to enter the country.
At the same time, Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said on X that asylum decisions will be paused “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
