• Emails reveal mounting warnings about suspect’s erratic behavior before shooting
• Community advocate feared Afghan asylum seeker was becoming suicidal
• Refugee organization attempted intervention but suspect refused assistance

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — The man accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member near the White House had been spiraling for years, alternating between extended periods of isolation and sudden cross-country drives that alarmed those who knew him. Emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal that a community advocate reached out to a refugee organization months before the attack, expressing fears that Rahmanullah Lakanwal was becoming suicidal.

The National Guard attack suspect, a 29-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, now faces first-degree murder charges following the Thanksgiving eve shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. The previously unreported concerns paint a troubling picture of a man who struggled to build a new life in America after fleeing Afghanistan.

Warning Signs Documented in Emails

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According to the emails shared with AP, the National Guard attack suspect was described as struggling to assimilate in his new country. He could not hold a steady job or commit to his English courses while alternating between what the community member called periods of intense withdrawal and reckless travel.

“Sometimes, he spent weeks in his darkened room, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife or older kids.”

The family faced eviction in 2023 after months of not paying rent. Family members reportedly resorted to sending his toddler sons into his room to bring him the phone or messages because he would not respond to anyone else. When his wife traveled to visit relatives, the children reportedly went unbathed and poorly fed.

Community Intervention Attempts Failed

The community member who works with Afghan families in Washington state told interviewers they became worried that Lakanwal was so depressed he might harm himself. However, the advocate said they never anticipated he would commit violence against another person. When the suspect’s name appeared on the news following the shooting, the community member expressed shock.

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In response to the warning emails, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants visited Bellingham in March 2024 and attempted to contact Lakanwal and his family. The community member was left with the impression that he refused their assistance after receiving no updates on the outreach effort.

Background Reveals CIA Connection

The National Guard attack suspect worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as a Zero Unit, which operated with CIA backing during the war. He entered the United States in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans following the American military withdrawal.

Lakanwal resettled in Bellingham, Washington, approximately 80 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and their five sons, all under age 12. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated the suspect drove across the country from his Washington state home to the nation’s capital to execute his attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.

Investigators Probe Radicalization Claims

As investigators work to establish a motive, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on NBC’s Meet the Press that officials believe he was radicalized since arriving in the country. Noem suggested connections in his home community and state may have played a role, though she offered no additional information to support the claim.

The FBI continues investigating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism. Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were both members of the West Virginia National Guard serving on the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission when they were ambushed near 17th Street and I Street. Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thanksgiving Day, while Wolfe remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Could earlier intervention have changed the trajectory of this tragedy?

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