Washington DC shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal ‘disappeared’ two weeks ago, says neighbour
Lakanwal, a native of Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan, has been living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children since he arrived in the US in 2021.
November 29, 2025 12:47 AM IST
First published on: Nov 29, 2025 at 12:46 AM IST
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Rahmanullah Lakanwal worked with the CIA in Afghanistan. (Photo: AP)
A neighbour of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national, arrested in connection with the shooting of two National Guard troops, has claimed that the 29-year-old had “disappeared” from his residence about two weeks ago.
‘Polite, quiet and spoke very little English’
Mohammad Sherzad, a neighbour of Lakanwal’s in Bellingham, Washington, told The Associated Press that Lakanwal was polite, quiet and spoke very little English.
According to Sherzad, he attended the same mosque as Lakanwal and had heard from other members that Lakanwal was struggling to find work. Some of his children attended the same school as Lakanwal’s children, Sherzad said.
“He was so quiet and the kids were so polite, they were so playful. But we didn’t see anything bad about him. He was looking OK,” Sherzad said.
Lakanwal, a native of Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan, has been living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children since he arrived in the US.
He was an independent contractor for Amazon Flex, working as a delivery driver, and according to the company, he had not been an active driver since August 2025.
‘Suffered mental problems’
It is yet unclear what drove Lakanwal, who worked with the CIA in Afghanistan and was allowed to enter the US in 2021 because of his past, to open fire at the National Guard troops, killing one and critically injuring another.
Members of the National Guard gather after reports of two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A childhood friend of Lakanwal’s told The New York Times that he suffered mental problems from what he saw in Afghanistan. “When he saw blood, bodies, and the wounded, he could not tolerate it,” the friend told the New York Times. “It put a lot of pressure on his mind.”
According to the authorities, Lakanwal drove his car across the United States, from Washington state to Washington, DC, covering a distance of over 4,400 kilometres to carry out the attack.
On Wednesday, Lakanwal opened fire at two National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, who were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting mission.
Beckstrom, who was undergoing treatment, died on Thursday, while Wolfe continues to be in a critical condition.
Employees of the Department of Corrections arrive to enter the George Washington University Hospital in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Charged with murder
Following the death of Beckstrom, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said the charges against Lakanwal have been upgraded to first-degree murder. He has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.
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Rahmanullah Lakanwal worked with the CIA in Afghanistan. (Photo: AP) 
