NPR claims that DC National Guard shooting suspect was not radicalized, had 'personal crisis'

A report from NPR has claimed that the Afghan national who has been charged with shooting two National Guardsmen in Washington, DC last week appeared to suffer from a personal crisis in his life leading up to the shooting and had not been radicalized. He has been charged with the murder of Sarah Beckstrom, the Guardsman who died on Thanksgiving, the day after the shooting. Andrew Wolfe, the other officer, is in critical condition. 

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, came to the US under the Biden administration and was able to gain asylum in the country. After spending time in the US, a resettlement volunteer who worked with the family has said that he was likely in personal crisis and was prone to taking cross-country drives without informing his family, per NPR. The report stated, "the volunteer who worked with Lakanwal and other Afghan refugees in Washington state told NPR they saw no sign of radicalization."

"My biggest concern was that [Lakanwal] would harm himself," the volunteer, who spoke with the outlet on condition of anonymity over concerns for their safety, said. "I worried he would be suicidal because he was so withdrawn." The volunteer said that when they first met Lakanwal, he appeared to be hopeful and outgoing when he came to the US. "He was outside with his kids, laughing and playing and having animated conversations with other Afghan men," the volunteer said of his mental state in 2022.

The volunteer said that the Afghan national was only able to hold employment for brief periods of time, but in 2023, he began to isolate himself and was "defeated" in trying to find long-term employment. The volunteer also shared emails that indicated his mental state was deteriorating.

"He spends most of his time in his darkened bedroom, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife and older kids," a volunteer group email stated. "I personally believe that [Mr. Lakanwal] is suffering from both PTSD and from his work with the US military in Afghanistan." The volunteer added that they were not "healthcare professionals."

Officials with the Trump administration also believe that Lakanwal was radicalized while he was in the US, with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem saying, "We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we're going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him." The volunteer could not point to a possible motive behind the attack.

Before he came to the US, the Afghan national served in an elite military and CIA-backed “Zero Unit,” which coordinated with the US to fight the Taliban.