From a War-Torn Childhood to a D.C. Street Corner: The Troubled Journey of Shooting Suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal

Authorities say Lakanwal, 29, drove across the country before allegedly opening fire outside the Farragut West Metro station on Wednesday afternoon, using a .357 revolver to shoot the two Guardsmen on patrol. He was shot and wounded by the troops and is currently under guard in a Washington hospital. Prosecutors have filed charges of assault with intent to kill, and upgraded charges — including first-degree murder — are expected following Beckstrom’s death.

A Life Shaped by War

Born in Khost Province in southeastern Afghanistan, Lakanwal grew up in a country engulfed in conflict. When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks, he was just a child. As a young adult, he joined a “Zero Unit,” a clandestine Afghan paramilitary force that worked closely with U.S. intelligence agencies on nighttime raids and counterterror missions.

These units, heavily supported by the CIA, were both feared and controversial. Human rights groups have accused them of abuses — allegations the CIA has long rejected as Taliban propaganda. People familiar with Lakanwal’s past say he struggled with the emotional toll of his work. A childhood friend said he often spoke of the stress, casualties, and horrors he witnessed.

“He was under a lot of pressure,” the friend recalled. “Their operations were very tough.”

Flight to America

When Kabul fell in 2021, Lakanwal’s connection to U.S.-backed units enabled him to escape with his wife and children during the chaotic evacuation. He entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, the federal program designed to resettle Afghans who had aided American forces.

The family was placed in Bellingham, Washington, a quiet city near the Canadian border. There, they lived in a subsidized apartment building alongside families fleeing domestic violence, people with disabilities, and older residents. Neighbors described them as quiet and private; his children were often seen playing in the hallways.

Lakanwal received asylum earlier this year and worked briefly as an Amazon Flex delivery driver until late summer. World Relief, a humanitarian organization involved in refugee resettlement, did not confirm whether they directly assisted his family, citing assignment processes controlled by federal authorities.

A Sudden Spiral

What led Lakanwal to drive from Washington State to the nation’s capital — and allegedly carry out a deadly attack — remains unclear. Friends said he had long struggled with mental health issues stemming from his wartime experiences. Investigators are now piecing together his final weeks, searching his apartment with drones and robots during an intense pre-dawn raid on Thanksgiving morning.

Residents of the building said they were stunned to learn their neighbor was the suspect in such a high-profile shooting. One woman said she awoke to agents shouting “FBI” as they executed a search warrant. By afternoon, the apartment door hung cracked and unanswered.

National Shock and Legal Fallout

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed the initial charges and said additional counts would be forthcoming. President Trump announced Beckstrom’s death Thursday evening, describing the attack as “an act of pure evil.”

The shooting has rapidly escalated into a national political flashpoint, raising new questions about Afghan resettlement programs, the vetting of wartime allies, and the challenges many refugees face after arriving in the United States — especially those carrying deep psychological scars from years of conflict.

As investigators search for a motive, one fact remains clear: the story of Rahmanullah Lakanwal is one shaped by two decades of war, displacement, trauma, and a final eruption of violence on an ordinary D.C. street corner.