SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The 29-year-old gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, accused in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C. Wednesday allegedly has connections to San Diego.
The FBI announced in a press conference that they are investigating the shooter’s connections to the West Coast.
“It is an ongoing investigation of terrorism. Make no mistake about it,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
The gunman drove thousands of miles from his home in Washington to the nation’s capital, where he shot two National Guard members, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, at close range near the White House.
Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thursday, and Wolfe remains in critical condition, fighting for his life.
“There’s nothing that excuses what this guy did,” said Shawn VanDiver, the president and founder of Afghan Evac.
The gunman’s connections to San Diego remain unknown to the local non-profit group, Afghan Evac, but this attack has added fuel to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
“We don’t know what it could be. It could just be that he had a friend in San Diego. It could be that he lived here for a little while,” VanDiver said. “It could be any number of things.”
The alleged shooter worked with the CIA in Afghanistan and first came to the United States in 2021 through Operations Allies Welcome, a program dedicated to protecting vulnerable Afghans after the U.S. military withdrawal from the country.
“These were the actions of one man, a deranged lunatic, who has committed a horrific crime, but the Afghan community didn’t commit that crime,” VanDiver said.
The Trump administration repeatedly blames the Biden administration for allowing the gunman into the U.S. and vows to re-examine every immigrant who has entered the country under their leadership.
“This heinous atrocity reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” President Donald Trump said.
While the alleged shooter applied for asylum under the Biden administration, his asylum was approved under Trump.
“It’s starting to feel a little bit like prejudice disguised as policy,” VanDiver said.
Following the shooting, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced they stopped processing immigration requests from Afghan nationals immediately, “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”
“Tell us what more we can do to vet these folks,” he said. “People like to use vetting as an excuse, but the truth is, refugees are among the most vetted populations in the world.”
Amidst the tragedy, VanDiver hopes this administration focuses on justice for the two National Guard members.
“We owe it to them to not treat this as a political football, to treat this with the dignity and respect that they deserve, that their lives deserve,” VanDiver said.
The FBI says this investigation is ongoing, and they’re continuing to look into every lead that could outline a motive.
As for the gunman, he remains in the hospital where he’s being treated for his injuries.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.