A 29‑year‑old Afghan refugee, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly drove nearly 3,000 miles from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., arriving in late afternoon on Wednesday. The motives behind the trip remain hazy, and law‑enforcement officials are still piecing together when he left his home—where he lives with a wife and five children—until he showed up in the capital.
On that afternoon, around 2 p.m., Lakanwal was lying in wait near the Farragut West metro stop, a block or two from the White House. He brandished a .357‑magnum Smith & Wesson revolver, aimed it at two National Guard troops manning a patrol, and opened fire. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20‑year‑old West Virginia guard who had volunteered so her family could stay home for Thanksgiving, was struck in the head and chest. Her father told the New York Times that she was unlikely to survive.
Lakanwal was armed with only four rounds. After taking Beckstrom’s gun, he fired again, hitting 24‑year‑old Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, who remains in critical condition. Witnesses noted that the attacker shouted “Allahu akbar” during the assault.
A nearby National Guard major, on a routine check‑in, heard the gunfire and noticed Lakanwal’s approach. Though he had no weapon, the major pulled out a pocket knife, ducked behind a vehicle, and when Lakanwal paused to reload, leapt from cover and stabbed the assailant multiple times in the head, forcing him to the ground—according to law‑enforcement sources. A fourth guard, drawn to the scene with his pistol, fired two shots at Lakanwal’s buttocks and leg. Together, the guards secured the suspect until he was apprehended.
Both wounded guards were rushed to hospital under critical care. Lakanwal survived the shooting and has been charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime and intent to kill while armed. U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, has vowed to press the full weight of the law against him.
While the exact reasons motivating Lakanwal remain unclear, his background suggests a possible link to his former role in Afghan paramilitary groups set up by U.S. forces to counter the Taliban. The CIA confirmed that his service concluded shortly after American troops left Afghanistan in 2021. He arrived in America as part of President Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, which brought around 76,000 Afghan allies into the United States. Living in Bellingham, a small town favored by Afghan refugees near the Canadian border, he remains believed to be the sole conspirator in the attack.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
