Afghan National Charged in D.C. National Guard Shooting; Vetting Process Under Scrutiny
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, faces charges for critically wounding two National Guard members in D.C. The incident sparks debate over Afghan national vetting.
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Overview
- Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, drove cross-country to Washington, D.C., ambushing and critically wounding National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe near the Farragut West Metro station.
- Lakanwal, armed with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, was apprehended after exchanging gunfire with another Guardsman. He now faces charges including assault with intent to kill while armed.
- Lakanwal, an Afghan national, served in an elite NDS-03 counterterrorism unit with CIA ties. He entered the U.S. in 2021 via Operation Allies Welcome, receiving asylum in April 2025.
- FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the agency is investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism, though authorities currently have no determined motive for the targeted attack.
- The D.C. shooting sparked criticism of Afghan national vetting from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel. President Trump ordered more Guard members and halted Afghan immigration.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the security concerns and criticisms surrounding the "Operation Allies Welcome" program in the wake of the National Guard shooting. They highlight Republican lawmakers' warnings about vetting failures and the Trump administration's swift policy responses, while presenting the program's defenders as reacting to these established concerns.
"This violent act does not reflect the Afghan community, which continues to contribute across the United States and undergoes some of the most extensive vetting of any immigrant population."
NPR"The shooting, which has critically injured the two West Virginia guard members, identified as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, has reopened a debate about the program, including previous warnings in Department of Homeland Security reports that outlined how the Biden administration failed to track Afghan evacuees."
USA TODAY"The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem."
Military Times"The soldiers had been on a high-visibility patrol near the corner of 17th and I streets, an area where many office workers mill around at lunchtime."
BBC News"The Nov. 26 attack a short distance from the White House left both the National Guard members in critical condition, according to FBI Director Kash Patel."
USA TODAY"The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem."
Military Times"Two families are shattered and destroyed and torn apart as the result of the actions of one man."
NPR"Two National Guard members from West Virginia remain in critical condition after a gunman opened fire on them in an apparent "targeted shooting" near the White House."
ABC News"The brazen daytime shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital by a man authorities said is an Afghan national has raised multiple questions."
Chicago Tribune"The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem."
Chicago Tribune"The two wounded Guard members were in critical condition at local hospitals, FBI Director Kash Patel said."
USA TODAY"The US has suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans, after an Afghan man was identified as the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House."
BBC News"The brazen daytime shooting of two National Guard members in the nation's capital by a man authorities said is an Afghan national has raised multiple questions."
ABC News"The announcement came shortly after the Department of Homeland Security announced publicly that the suspected shooter — who was shot by a Guard member and is now in custody — was a man named Rahmanullah Lakanwal who entered the U.S. in 2021 under a Biden-era initiative for Afghans called Operation Allies Welcome."
CBS News"The suspect appeared to be "a lone gunman that raised the firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard" as they patrolled near a mass transit station in downtown D.C."
CBS News"The brazen daytime shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital by a man authorities said is an Afghan national has raised multiple questions."
Associated Press"The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem."
Associated Press"Details of what a re-examination of Afghans already in the U.S. would look like, and who arrived during the Biden administration, were not immediately clear Wednesday night."
NBC News"The suspect in the Washington, D.C., shooting that critically wounded two National Guard members was an Afghan national who served alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan, officials and a relative say."
NBC News"Trump’s remarks were a signal that scrutiny of migrants and the nation’s borders will only increase."
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FAQ
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is a 29-year-old Afghan national who served in an elite NDS-03 counterterrorism unit with CIA ties before entering the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome in 2021 and receiving asylum in April 2025.
Lakanwal ambushed and critically wounded two National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, near the Farragut West Metro station in Washington, D.C., using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, and engaged in a gunfire exchange with another Guardsman before being apprehended.
He faces charges including assault with intent to kill while armed following the shooting incident.
The shooting has sparked criticism of the vetting process for Afghan nationals, with figures like U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel voicing concerns, leading President Trump to order an increase in National Guard presence and a halt to Afghan immigration.
The FBI is investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism, but authorities have not yet determined a clear motive for the targeted attack.
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