The suspect in the shooting deaths of two Washington National Guard soldiers was working with US partner forces in Afghanistan, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday. The US government is conducting a terrorism investigation into the man, identified as 29-year-old Afghan Rahmanullah Lakkanwal. He was injured while in detention.
“We are investigating any (Lakanwal’s) associates who are abroad or here in the United States,” Patel said at a news conference, adding that in the past few hours, authorities executed several search warrants, including one at Lakanwal’s residence. Mobile phones, laptops and tablets were confiscated.
In the country since 2021, Lakanwal’s entry was mediated by the Operation Welcoming Allies program, an initiative launched by the government of former President Joe Biden to allocate thousands of Afghans who helped the Americans during the war in Afghanistan and fear retaliation from the Taliban, which took control of the country after the American withdrawal.
Lakanwal in turn Worked with the US government, including the CIA, According to a statement by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
President Donald Trump, who was at his Florida resort at the time of the attack, said the government would rescreen all Afghans who arrived in the United States during Joe Biden’s presidency. USCIS announced that it has indefinitely suspended the processing of all immigration applications related to Afghan citizens.
In an interview with Fox News, Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the United States plans to charge Lakkanwal with terrorism, punishing him with life imprisonment.
Soldiers undergoing surgery
Washington Attorney General Jeanine Pirro provided the identities of the two National Guard members who were shot. They are Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolf, 24. Both underwent surgery and remain in critical condition. They had been sworn in less than 24 hours before the shooting.
The motive behind the attack is unclear. The White House was cordoned off and locked down shortly after the shooting. Neither Trump nor his Vice President, J.D. Vance, were in the capital at the time of the incident.
Washington, D.C. Police Chief Jeff Carroll said shortly after the attack that the suspect turned a corner and began shooting at soldiers, who were patrolling the entrance to the Farragut West subway station.
The investigation is still at an early stage, but Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said it was a “targeted attack” on the military.
“It appears that a lone gunman pulled out a gun and ambushed these National Guard members,” Carroll said in an interview. “At this time, we do not have any other suspects.”
In a post on social media, Trump described the shooter as an “animal” who will pay a “heavy price” for his actions.
After yesterday’s attack, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Republican requested that 500 additional soldiers be sent to the capital.