Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the fatal shooting of two U.S. National Guard members in Washington, D.C., is alleged to have worked with the CIA during the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. Officials confirmed his admission to the U.S. under a special program for vulnerable Afghans, including those who served with Western forces. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, saw Lakanwal allegedly fire at close range on the two guards while patrolling the street. U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries the next day, while U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition. CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in September 2021, was admitted due to his prior work with the U.S. Government, including the CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly after the chaotic evacuation. Ratcliffe echoed criticisms made by former President Donald Trump, who blamed former President Joe Biden for the “disastrous” withdrawal of U.S. forces.
FBI Director Kash Patel also confirmed that Lakanwal had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces, adding that his prior connections are under investigation. The BBC’s Afghan Service cited a former military commander who served alongside Lakanwal, saying he worked as a GPS tracker specialist in a unit known as Scorpion Forces, which operated under the CIA and later under Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security. Lakanwal also reportedly helped guard American troops at Kabul airport during the final weeks of the withdrawal. The ex-commander told the BBC that Lakanwal moved from Kandahar to Kabul five days before the Taliban entered the capital in August 2021 and was airlifted to the U.S. six days later.