FBI director Kash Patel slams Biden administration for ’emblematic failure’ after Afghan national charged in National Guard shooting

“The problem with this case shows the emblematic failure of the Biden administration to vet anyone who came here from Afghanistan after the disastrous withdrawal,” Patel said.

The suspect gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who shot at two National Guard troops in the federal capital city, was detained and has now been formally charged by the Justice Department with four counts, including murder.

20-year-old West Virginia National Guard soldier, Sarah Beckstrom from the US Army, succumbed to her injuries after being shot, while another victim, 24-year-old US Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains hospitalised.

The Justice Department informed that suspect Lakanwal is being treated at a hospital as he suffered injuries and is being held under guard. A Superior Court judge based in Washington DC said that gunman Lakanwal will be held in custody without bond.

The developments come as critics have accused the erstwhile Biden administration of allegedly forging in-depth vetting for Afghan refugees after the United States forces withdrew from the country in 2021.

Detailing about the ongoing investigation, Kash Patel said that where and how Lakanwal was “radicalised” is being investigated as an “ongoing piece” by the FBI. “This is a sprawling international terrorism investigation that the FBI is leading out on,” he added.

The FBI director also vowed to “vet every single person that came in here legally or illegally or otherwise,” and to ensure there’s no derogatory or criminal information or terrorist ties.