The man suspected of shooting two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. was “radicalized” after arriving in the U.S. from Afghanistan, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday.
Federal investigators believe Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, changed his mind about the U.S. following his arrival in 2021, Noem said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“We believe he was radicalized since he’s been here in this country,” Noem told the outlet. “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.”
Lakanwal was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree assault for fatally shooting Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounding Andrew Wolfe, 24, in a Nov. 26 attack just blocks from the White House. Beckstrom and Wolfe were West Virginia natives on patrol around the nation’s capital.
In recent years, Lakanwal had grown isolated from his community in Bellingham, Wash., according to a person who knew him and spoke with The Associated Press.
“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.
National Guardsmen patrol in front of the Washington Monument on Friday. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
The acquaintance told the AP they were cooperating with the FBI — and that Lakanwal would shut himself away in his home, which he shared with his wife and five children. The person worried Lakanwal was suicidal and reached out to a refugee aid organization.
At points, Lakanwal would take off without warning and drive across the country, the source told the AP. He made a similar drive from Bellingham to Washington, D.C., before the shooting, authorities said.
Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. as part of the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan. Beginning in 2012, he worked alongside the CIA in a “Zero Unit,” a group of Afghan commando fighters who carried out operations planned by the agency.
President Trump has paused all asylum cases following the shooting; his administration approved Lakanwal’s asylum claim in April.
With News Wire Services
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