More than a year before the Trump administration granted asylum to the Afghan immigrant, the volunteer’s emails raised concerns that he was unraveling.
Former officials said the C.I.A. diligently assessed those who partnered with its forces, like the man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington.
John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, said the man accused of shooting two National Guard members, an Afghan who had worked with U.S. forces during the war in his country, “should have never been allowed to come here.”
Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who died on Thursday, was not initially excited to go to Washington, but had grown to enjoy the city. Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remained in critical condition on Friday.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal was among the Afghans who came to the United States after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Earlier, he served in a paramilitary unit that worked with U.S. forces.
Another Guard member was in critical condition. The suspect is an Afghan man who once served in a paramilitary unit that worked with U.S. forces, officials said.
National Guard members gather outside the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner after the body of West Virginia National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom was transported to the facility on Nov. 27, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal was among the Afghans who came to the United States after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Earlier, he served in a paramilitary unit that worked with U.S. forces.
The C.I.A. and an Afghan intelligence official said that the shooter had been part of an Afghan “partner force,” known as a Zero Unit, trained and supported by the agency in the southern province of Kandahar.
One National Guard member died and another is in critical condition after the attack near the White House on the eve of Thanksgiving. The suspect is a 29-year-old Afghan man.
A cordoned-off area near a shooting in Washington on Wednesday. President Trump ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington after the shooting.
Connexion
