Washington shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal never made a peep in suburbia | US | News
The Afghan terrorist accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers just blocks from the White House was living a seemingly ordinary family life in a $2,000-a-month apartment in Washington’s idyllic town of Bellingham. Surprised neighbors here told the New York Post that the FBI raided his home in a dramatic raid on Wednesday.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was often seen playing Call of Duty and FIFA in the vacant apartment he shared with his headscarved wife and five children, shocked neighbors told The Post on Thursday.
Refugees who arrived in 2021 after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan reportedly did not have beds and were sleeping on “some couch cushions” in sparse living space.
Despite the family’s modest living conditions, neighbors said they “never peeped,” although one of them noted that Lakanwal did not speak much English and that his eldest child was only 14 years old. “Bellingham is very liberal,” the neighbor said, describing the area housing Afghans evacuated after the botched retreat as “Very welcoming. Very diverse. Very open.”
Lakanwal’s alleged attack left soldiers seriously injured
Lakanwal, who fought in Afghanistan and entered the USA as part of the Biden-era Operation Welcome Allies, allegedly opened fire on National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom (20) and Andrew Wolfe (24) who were patrolling near the White House around 14.15 on Wednesday.
Both troops were seriously injured in the attack; Beckstrom’s father told the New York Times that Beckstrom suffered a “fatal wound” after being shot in the head and chest with a .357 Magnum-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol.
Third guard hailed as hero for taking down shooter
A third guard rushed to the scene and tackled Lakanwal to the ground, leaving the alleged attacker with gunshot wounds from the scuffle. This unsung hero’s brave actions likely prevented further bloodshed and saved countless lives.
Following the ambush-style attack, Lakanwal’s neighbor said federal agents kicked in the suspect’s mustard-colored front door about 16 hours later.
“I heard a loud knock on the door and men shouting ‘FBI,'” the local recalled.
“They got everyone out of the flat but I don’t think the kids were there. It’s pretty shocking. Every sign in the world points to that.” [to Lakanwal being the shooter] but some things don’t add up,” the neighbor added.
“What caught our attention was that law enforcement showed up 16-17 hours after the incident. That’s hard to do [know why he did it] Because you don’t know his mentality. You know you don’t just snap and run away.”
While authorities promise justice, the reason remains a mystery
Authorities describe it as a “targeted attack” and claim Lakanwal traveled cross-country from Washington state to carry out the attack.
The CIA confirmed that Lakanwal was working with “Unit Zero,” one of the elite counterterrorism units in Afghanistan, raising questions about how he was vetted before entering the United States.
Death penalty on the table as Lakanwal faces justice
Lakanwal faces at least three counts of assault with intent to kill and criminal possession of a weapon and could face up to 15 years behind bars.
But federal prosecutors vowed to seek the death penalty if any of the victims were injured. “Let me tell you early on, we will do everything we can to get the death penalty against this monster who should not be in our country,” Homeland Security Secretary Pam Bondi told Fox News. Latest reports indicate that National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom has died.
As the world reels from this shocking attack, many are wondering how an Afghan terrorist managed to wreak havoc just steps from the heart of American democracy.
