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2d ago

Homeland Security: D.C. Guard Shooting Suspect Was Radicalized in the U.S.

The administration has paused asylum decisions pending expanded vetting reviews.

Kristi Noem says Afghan asylum seeker accused in DC attack was radicalized on US soil
A picture of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who is the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members, is displayed at a press conference with FBI Director Kash Patel, attorney Jeanine Pirro and other authorities, in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 27, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
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Overview

  • Authorities have charged 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal with first-degree murder after the Nov. 26 attack near the White House that killed Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and left Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, in critical condition.
  • DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said investigators believe Lakanwal was radicalized after arriving in the United States and that agents are interviewing family and community contacts.
  • Government records indicate Lakanwal entered in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, previously served in a CIA-backed partner unit, and was granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration.
  • Federal officials have frozen asylum processing and ordered reviews of Afghan visas and green-card cases while a terrorism inquiry continues.
  • DHS data provided to Congress show thousands of Afghan evacuees flagged for potential derogatory information, adding pressure on the evacuation-era vetting process.