The suspect in a shooting that wounded two members of the US National Guard near the White House has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan immigrant with ties to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the agency confirmed on Friday.
Lakanwal, who arrived in the United States in September 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome programme for Afghans who worked with US forces, was granted asylum in April of this year. The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, stated that Lakanwal had worked with CIA-backed military units in Afghanistan, including counterterrorism squads in the southern province of Kandahar.
The two guards, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were shot on Wednesday evening at a bus stop. Beckstrom died on Thursday, while Wolfe remains in critical condition. They had been sworn into service less than 24 hours before the attack.
Prosecutors said Lakanwal, who drove from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to Washington DC, used a .357 revolver. He is charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI has said it is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
President Donald Trump ordered an additional 500 National Guard troops to the capital following the incident. He blamed the Biden administration for failing to properly vet migrants from Afghanistan, calling for a review of asylum and green card applications.
