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Afghan national suspect in US National Guard shooting overstayed visa
Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under a special visa program for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war.
Investigators have identified the suspect involved in Wednesday’s targeted attack on two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, Reuters reported citing an anonymous Justice Department official.
Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under a special visa program for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war. Authorities said he overstayed his visa and is currently in the country illegally.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on X that the suspect arrived in September 2021 under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, a program aimed at resettling Afghan allies.
Federal investigators continue to probe the motive and circumstances of the attack, which left the two National Guard members in critical condition. The incident is also being reviewed as a potential act of terrorism.
This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Afghan arrivals under U.S. resettlement programs and ongoing national security concerns in the capital.