Homeland Security Secretary Says Guard Shooting Suspect May Have Been Radicalized in the United States

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said investigators believe the man accused of shooting two District of Columbia National Guard soldiers last week might have adopted extremist views after resettling in the United States. The statement, delivered during a Sunday television interview, offered no public evidence to support the assessment but immediately fueled debate over the government’s vetting of Afghan evacuees.

The suspect, identified by authorities as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly opened fire on National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, on Wednesday afternoon in northeast Washington, D.C. One soldier was pronounced dead at the scene and the other remains hospitalized, according to law-enforcement officials. Prosecutors said Lakanwal will face a charge of first-degree murder, among other counts.

Federal records show Lakanwal is an Afghan national who worked with the Central Intelligence Agency during the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan. After the Afghan government collapsed to the Taliban in August 2021, he was airlifted from Kabul through Operation Allies Welcome, the Department of Homeland Security program that helped relocate tens of thousands of Afghans. He entered the United States later that year and was granted asylum in April 2025.

Dispute Over Vetting Responsibility

Noem asserted the Biden administration failed to conduct thorough checks before allowing Lakanwal to resettle. “He was brought into the country by the Biden administration through Operation Allies Welcome,” she said, adding that authorities now believe he could have been radicalized in his “home community and his home state” after arrival.

Pressed on television about whether any vetting occurred under the prior administration, which ultimately approved the asylum application, Noem said information used in that process had been collected while President Joe Biden was in office. “His asylum claim application started under the Biden administration,” she noted, insisting that new screening measures have since been added by President Donald Trump’s team.

Her remarks came two days after the Trump administration announced a temporary pause on all pending asylum decisions in response to the shooting. Critics quickly denounced the move as an overreaction that penalizes thousands of applicants who followed established procedures.

Experts Counter Administration’s Claims

Several former homeland security and State Department officials pushed back on Noem’s characterization of the vetting program. John Cohen, a former DHS intelligence undersecretary, said evacuees were screened against classified and unclassified databases and were required to provide biometric and biographical data. According to Cohen, although some travelers arrived in transit countries before full reviews were finished, collected information was processed at overseas facilities.

Sam Aronson, a former State Department official who helped coordinate evacuations during the Kabul airlift, described third-country “lilypad” sites where Afghans remained from several days to a few months until background checks were completed. Aronson said the multilayered process included fingerprinting, facial recognition scans, and repeated interviews.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland also rejected the secretary’s suggestion that inadequate vetting enabled the attack. In a separate appearance on the same network, Van Hollen stated that “no evidence” has emerged indicating screening failures. He further argued that the administration’s pause on asylum decisions constitutes “collective punishment” against individuals who had assisted U.S. forces and now face the prospect of Taliban retribution.

Imagem: Internet

Details of the Washington Shooting

According to a police affidavit, Beckstrom and Wolfe were part of a National Guard traffic-control team near a holiday event when a gunman approached shortly after 3:00 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing multiple shots before the suspect fled on foot. Responding officers apprehended a man matching the description several blocks away and recovered a handgun believed to have been used in the assault.

Investigators have not publicly discussed a possible motive. Court documents indicate Lakanwal has no prior criminal record in the United States. Defense counsel has not commented on the allegations.

Policy Implications

The shooting has revived political tensions surrounding refugee admissions and asylum processing, issues that have divided Congress for years. Republican lawmakers aligned with Noem argue the incident underscores what they call security gaps in resettlement programs. Democrats counter that existing procedures are robust and that Afghan partners who risked their lives for U.S. forces should not face added barriers.

As the debate continues, the Department of Justice is expected to present formal charges against Lakanwal at an arraignment scheduled for next week in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Federal agencies have not indicated whether additional terrorism-related counts will be filed. The Department of Homeland Security said it is cooperating with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Meanwhile, National Guard officials said units across the capital region have reviewed security protocols for personnel assigned to public events. The Guard also confirmed plans for a memorial service honoring Beckstrom, who joined the military in 2023, and Wolfe, a four-year veteran of the force.

Crédito da imagem: Original source