Members of legislation enforcement, together with the U.S. Secret Service and the Washington Metropolitan Police Division, reply to a capturing 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 stuffed 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 response to a volunteer who labored carefully along with his household.
Lakanwal, an Afghan nationwide, is accused of capturing two Nationwide Guard troopers on November 26. A kind 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 “severe” situation.
“My greatest concern was that [Lakanwal] would hurt himself,” the refugee resettlement volunteer advised NPR. “I fearful he can be suicidal as a result of he was so withdrawn.”
The volunteer spoke with NPR on situation of anonymity as a result of they mentioned they feared for his or her security, and the protection of others of their volunteer neighborhood, due to attainable retaliation for having labored with Afghan refugees together with the Lakanwals.
They mentioned after they first met Lakanwal in 2022 at his residence in Bellingham, Wash., he appeared hopeful and outgoing. “He was outdoors along with his youngsters laughing and taking part in and having animated conversations with different Afghan males,” they mentioned.
Lakanwal held jobs for temporary intervals and hosted gatherings at his residence, the volunteer mentioned, 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 bed room, not talking to anybody, not even his spouse and older youngsters,” one e-mail mentioned. “I personally consider that [Mr. Lakanwal] is affected by each PTSD and from his work with the US army in Afghanistan,” the volunteer wrote, including that they’re “not a healthcare skilled.”
Talking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned U.S. officers consider Lakanwal was “radicalized” whereas residing within the U.S.
“We do consider it was via connections in his residence neighborhood and state and we’ll proceed to speak to those that interacted with him,” Noem mentioned.
However the volunteer who labored with Lakanwal and different Afghan refugees in Washington state advised NPR they noticed no signal of radicalization. As an alternative they described a person who gave the impression to be experiencing a deepening private disaster, difficult by Lakanwal’s poor English-language expertise and deepening cultural isolation. The volunteer mentioned there have been no organized sources for refugees past their preliminary welcome.
“Households have been simply in my thoughts deserted into the neighborhood,” the volunteer mentioned.
This photograph offered by the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, reveals 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 among Afghanistan’s elite counterterrorism items, in response to 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 response to AfghanEvac, and fought the Taliban on behalf of the U.S. authorities.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe mentioned in an announcement final week that the shooter concerned within the assault was admitted into the U.S. “as a consequence of his prior work with the U.S. Authorities, together with CIA.”
The volunteer advised NPR they’d no detailed information of Lakanwal’s army duties and by no means noticed him expressing hostility towards the U.S. They mentioned his more and more erratic conduct by no means recommended any sort of risk or hazard.
“I used to be so shocked that this occurred. I requested myself, have been there warning indicators? No,” the volunteer mentioned.
Whereas the volunteer could not present perception into Lakanwal’s attainable 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 evening and sends map pins to one of many volunteer sponsors and we will seize images from Instagram tales, however no different communication. His household usually doesn’t know the place he’s or when he can be again,” mentioned one of many volunteer group emails written in January 2024.
Emails shared with NPR additionally point out volunteers in Washington state tried to achieve out to skilled refugee help 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 received restricted response.
“A gaggle of involved people [volunteering on refugee resettlement] within the Seattle space had a gathering in January 2024 to speak about dwindling sources for these households 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 can not verify whether or not or not now we have served any particular consumer with out permission from our federal authorities companions who administered the method for bringing Afghans to the US starting in 2021,” the World Aid assertion mentioned.
The group added that it “offered providers to these [refugees] assigned to make use of by our governmental companions” and mentioned it’s supporting legislation enforcement within the investigation of Lakanwal’s case.
Following final week’s violence, the Trump administration moved to freeze refugee circumstances involving Afghan nationals and launched a evaluation of refugees and migrants from greater than a dozen nations residing legally inside the US. Activists working with asylum seekers from Afghanistan advised NPR they view Lakanwal’s alleged violence as an remoted case.
“You possibly can’t paint with a broad brush this complete neighborhood. The overwhelming majority of Afghans who’ve come listed below are simply good upstanding residents,” mentioned Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran who heads the group AfghanEvac.
