Topline

The suspect in Wednesday’s shooting in Washington, D.C—which critically wounded two National Guard members—was identified as an Afghan man who worked with the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan before he came to the U.S. under a Biden-era resettlement program in 2021 and was granted asylum this year, according to multiple outlets.

National Guard patrol on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Key Facts

The suspected shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who lives in Bellingham, Washington.

According to The New York Times and ABC News, Lakanwal was granted asylum in April 2025 under President Donald Trump, who has blamed former President Joe Biden for Lakanwal’s entrance into the U.S. in 2021.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Thursday that Lakanwal worked with CIA-backed military units in Afghanistan, multiple outlets reported.

While addressing the attacks on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump said the Department of Homeland Security is “confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth.”

Trump claimed he was flown into the U.S. “by the Biden administration in September 2021,” and his “status was extended under legislation signed by President Biden”—likely referring to the “Operation Allies Welcome,” which allowed certain Afghan asylum seekers to remain in the U.S. for two years.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated this in an X post, saying the Lakanwal is an “Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome.”

What Do We Know About Rahmanullah Lakanwal?

The NBC report added that Lakanwal served in the Afghan army for 10 years alongside U.S. Special Forces soldiers. The 29-year-old reportedly grew up in the Khost province, which borders Pakistan. Lakanwal had been stationed at a base in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city, while serving in the country’s army, the report added, citing Lakanwal’s relative. The relative expressed disbelief that Lakanwal would carry out such an attack, and added, “We were the ones that were targeted by the Taliban in Afghanistan.” Lakanwal was part of a paramilitary force that worked with the CIA known as a “Zero Unit,” according to The New York Times, which noted the units built a reputation for their brutality and were considered “death squads” by human rights groups. The Times, citing a childhood friend of Lakanwal’s, said Lakanwal “suffered from mental health issues and was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused.” He had been living with his wife and five children in Bellingham, Washington, since moving to the U.S.

Read More