WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — An Afghan national who once worked with the CIA in Afghanistan is accused of driving across the country and carrying out an ambush-style shooting on two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House. U.S. officials said Thursday that the attack left both soldiers in critical condition and raised new questions about the vetting of Afghan refugees who arrived after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Federal prosecutors identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. They said he opened fire Wednesday afternoon with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. Prosecutors charged him with assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Authorities said the charges may be upgraded if either victim dies.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro called the shooting an “ambush-style attack.” She identified the victims as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Doctors listed both soldiers in critical condition.
Pirro said officials are still searching for a motive. She said investigators “are praying that they survive,” but warned that a first-degree murder charge will follow if either guard member dies.
The rare assault on National Guard troops on American soil unfolded only two blocks from the White House. The incident came the day before Thanksgiving, during a politically tense debate over the Trump administration’s deployment of troops to major cities.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Lakanwal had previously worked with a CIA-backed Afghan Army unit in Kandahar. He said the partnership ended shortly after the U.S. evacuation in 2021.
A relative in Afghanistan told the Associated Press that Lakanwal served in the Zero Unit, a special Afghan Army force that operated alongside U.S. personnel. The cousin spoke anonymously due to fear of reprisals and said both Lakanwal and his brother moved to the U.S. in 2021. He said Lakanwal once worked as a security guard before becoming a team leader and GPS specialist.
The suspect entered the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that relocated tens of thousands of Afghan allies after the Taliban takeover. The program brought roughly 76,000 Afghans to the U.S. and has since come under political scrutiny. Critics, including former President Donald Trump, claim the vetting process was rushed.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism. He said agents are executing search warrants across the country, describing the effort as a “coast-to-coast investigation.”
Law enforcement officials said other guard members ran toward the gunfire and restrained the shooter after he was wounded. Authorities said it remains unclear whether a guard member or a police officer shot him, but they do not believe his injuries are life-threatening.
Another official said at least one National Guard member returned fire during the attack.
President Donald Trump addressed the shooting in a video message on Wednesday night. He called for a re-investigation of all Afghan refugees admitted under the Biden administration. “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, calling the attack “a crime against our entire nation.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the shooting a direct attack on America. She said the shooter “drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” and vowed full prosecution. The Trump administration ordered 500 additional National Guard members to the capital following the attack.
Neighbors in Bellingham, Washington, said Lakanwal lived with his wife and five children. His former landlord said he had moved into the community quietly after arriving from Afghanistan. The shooting stunned soldiers stationed near the White House and sparked renewed debate about national security, refugee vetting, and the use of Guard troops in U.S. cities.
A social media video captured medics performing CPR on one of the soldiers while bystanders watched in shock. Officials said they remain focused on the investigation and supporting the victims’ families. “We have been in constant contact with their families,” Pirro said. “We are providing every resource needed during this difficult time.”
