Members of legislation enforcement, together with the U.S. Secret Service and the Washington Metropolitan Police Division, reply to a taking pictures close to the White Home on November 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. Two West Virginia Nationwide Guard members have been shot blocks from the White Home.
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Win McNamee/Getty Pictures North America
When Rahmanullah Lakanwal got here to the U.S. from Afghanistan he appeared vigorous and filled with hope, however over the course of years, he slipped into isolation and was susceptible to taking cross nation drives with out telling his household, in keeping with a volunteer who labored carefully together with his household.
Lakanwal, an Afghan nationwide, is accused of taking pictures two Nationwide Guard troopers on November 26. A type of troopers, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her wounds. On Monday, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey described the opposite guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, as in “serious” situation.
“My biggest concern was that [Lakanwal] would harm himself,” the refugee resettlement volunteer advised NPR. “I worried he would be suicidal because he was so withdrawn.”
The volunteer spoke with NPR on situation of anonymity as a result of they stated they feared for his or her security, and the security of others of their volunteer neighborhood, due to potential retaliation for having labored with Afghan refugees together with the Lakanwals.
They stated once they first met Lakanwal in 2022 at his dwelling in Bellingham, Wash., he appeared hopeful and outgoing. “He was outside with his kids laughing and playing and having animated conversations with other Afghan men,” they stated.
Lakanwal held jobs for temporary intervals and hosted gatherings at his dwelling, the volunteer stated, however by 2023 he started isolating himself and appeared “defeated” by the challenges of discovering regular work and adapting to life within the U.S.
The volunteer shared emails with NPR despatched in January of 2024 that raised alarms about Lakanwal’s well-being.
“He spends most of his time in his darkened bedroom, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife and older kids,” one electronic mail stated. “I personally believe that [Mr. Lakanwal] is suffering from both PTSD and from his work with the US military in Afghanistan,” the volunteer wrote, including that they’re “not a healthcare professional.”
Talking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem stated U.S. officers consider Lakanwal was “radicalized” whereas residing within the U.S.
“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,” Noem stated.
However the volunteer who labored with Lakanwal and different Afghan refugees in Washington state advised NPR they noticed no signal of radicalization. As a substitute they described a person who appeared to be experiencing a deepening private disaster, difficult by Lakanwal’s poor English-language expertise and deepening cultural isolation. The volunteer stated there have been no organized sources for refugees past their preliminary welcome.
“Families were just in my mind abandoned into the community,” the volunteer stated.
This picture supplied by the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, exhibits Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
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AP/U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace
Earlier than coming to the U.S. in 2021, Lakanwal served in one in all Afghanistan’s elite counterterrorism items, in keeping with AfghanEvac, a nonprofit that helps Afghan refugees run by U.S. veterans and others who served in Afghanistan. Lakanwal’s unit was operated by the CIA with direct U.S. intelligence and army assist, in keeping with AfghanEvac, and fought the Taliban on behalf of the U.S. authorities.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated in an announcement final week that the shooter concerned within the assault was admitted into the U.S. “due to his prior work with the U.S. Government, including CIA.”
The volunteer advised NPR they’d no detailed data of Lakanwal’s army duties and by no means noticed him expressing hostility towards the U.S. They stated his more and more erratic habits by no means prompt any type of risk or hazard.
“I was so shocked that this happened. I asked myself, were there warning signs? No,” the volunteer stated.
Whereas the volunteer could not present perception into Lakanwal’s potential motive for the alleged assault, they have been conscious of him making lengthy drives just like the one which took him to Washington, D.C. final week. Starting in 2023, Lakanwal would disappear for weeks at a time within the household automobile, roaming so far as Arizona and Illinois.
“He drives day and night and sends map pins to one of the volunteer sponsors and we can grab photos from Instagram stories, but no other communication. His family generally does not know where he is or when he will be back,” stated one of many volunteer group emails written in January 2024.
Emails shared with NPR additionally point out volunteers in Washington state tried to succeed in out to skilled refugee assist teams, together with World Aid and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), hoping to seek out assist for Lakanwal’s deteriorating psychological state, however they acquired restricted response.
“A group of concerned individuals [volunteering on refugee resettlement] in the Seattle area had a meeting in January 2024 to talk about dwindling resources for these families and frustration was expressed,” the volunteer advised NPR.
NPR reached out to World Aid and USCRI for remark. USCRI did not reply. World Aid despatched an announcement declining to say whether or not the group had any involvement in Lakanwal’s resettlement within the U.S.
“We cannot confirm whether or not we have served any specific client without permission from our federal government partners who administered the process for bringing Afghans to the United States beginning in 2021,” the World Aid assertion stated.
The group added that it “provided services to those [refugees] assigned to use by our governmental partners” and stated it’s supporting legislation enforcement within the investigation of Lakanwal’s case.
Following final week’s violence, the Trump administration moved to freeze refugee instances involving Afghan nationals and launched a evaluate of refugees and migrants from greater than a dozen nations residing legally inside america. Activists working with asylum seekers from Afghanistan advised NPR they view Lakanwal’s alleged violence as an remoted case.
“You can’t paint with a broad brush this entire community. The vast majority of Afghans who have come here are just good upstanding citizens,” stated Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran who heads the group AfghanEvac.
