Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan war veteran who came to the United States after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, was among those who benefited from a temporary asylum program for Afghans fleeing the regime. However, his journey took a deadly turn when he fatally shot one National Guard member and critically wounded another in Washington, D.C.
Lakanwal had served in a paramilitary unit that worked with U.S. forces before joining the Afghan military as a young man. He fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took control in 2021 and was resettled in the United States through Operation Allies Welcome.
Despite receiving asylum, Lakanwal struggled with mental health issues and spoke of the trauma his unit had caused. His unit played a pivotal role in securing U.S. and NATO bases before the Taliban retook control, leading to many members being evacuated with U.S. help.
Lakanwal was working as an Amazon Flex driver when he went on the rampage outside a Metro station, firing at two National Guard members who were patrolling the area. He is now under watch at a Washington hospital and faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed, which may lead to first-degree murder charges if Specialist Beckstrom dies.
The incident has raised questions about how Lakanwal was able to access the U.S. asylum program and whether authorities failed to detect warning signs of violent behavior. An investigation is ongoing, but it appears that Lakanwal’s path from war-torn Afghanistan to a life in the United States was forged by America’s longest war.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/us/guard-shooting-suspect-profile.html