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Washington DC shooting suspect showed signs of mental distress before attack
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghan national accused of fatally shooting one National Guard member and wounding another in Washington DC last week, exhibited severe mental health struggles in the months leading up to the attack, according to emails obtained by CBS News from a case worker assisting his family.
Attack details and victim impact
Lakanwal is alleged to have carried out an "ambush" that killed 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and critically injured 24-year-old Andrew Wolf. Authorities have not yet established a motive, but Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated in an NBC interview that Lakanwal had been "radicalised since he's been here in this country," citing connections within his local community.
Background: From Afghanistan to the US
Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program designed to relocate Afghans who had worked with US forces. He had served in Afghanistan's "Zero Unit," a CIA-affiliated intelligence and paramilitary force, according to former Afghan security officials and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. His asylum application, filed in 2024, was approved earlier this year.
After resettling in Bellingham, Washington-over 2,700 miles from the attack site-Lakanwal lived with his wife and five children. However, emails from 2024 reveal a deteriorating situation: the family faced eviction, and Lakanwal had been unemployed for a year.
Case worker raises alarms over mental health
In a January 11, 2024, email to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a case worker-who was not a mental health professional-wrote that Lakanwal "has mental health issues that are not addressed, and he won't talk to anyone." The worker noted he spent "weeks on end in his darkened bedroom, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife and older kids."
A later email, sent on January 31, described "manic episodes" lasting one to two weeks, during which Lakanwal would "take off in the family car," followed by periods of attempting to "make amends." The case worker's observations align with accounts from a childhood friend, who told the New York Times that Lakanwal's mental health declined after his service with US-aligned forces in Afghanistan.
Political fallout and asylum policy shifts
In the wake of the attack, President Donald Trump announced a "permanent pause" on migration from "third world countries" and halted all asylum decisions pending "maximum-degree" vetting. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed the freeze, stating it would remain "for a long time."
"Supplies have stabilized, but conservation remains essential."
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, addressing asylum processing delays (2025)
Current status and next steps
Lakanwal, who was shot during the incident, remains hospitalized. He faces murder charges, though officials have not disclosed further details about the investigation's direction. The attack has reignited debates over vetting processes for Afghan evacuees and mental health support for resettled refugees.
