A Bellingham, Washington man is under federal investigation following a shooting incident in Washington, D.C., that left two National Guard members victimized, one of them fatally wounded. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, reportedly attacked the service personnel in proximity to the White House on Wednesday.
Per FOX 13 Seattle, the members targeted included 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, both recently sworn into service. President Trump has since confirmed Beckstrom's death, while Wolfe remains critically injured. Lakanwal, believed to have driven from the West Coast to carry out the attack, was an Afghan national who arrived in the U.S. on humanitarian parole in 2021, under the Biden administration's Operation Allies Welcome.
After the attack, authorities swiftly executed search warrants at Lakanwal's residence in Bellingham, seizing a variety of electronic devices and conducting interviews. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the investigation is expansive, determined to meticulously understand Lakanwal's life and connections. "All the individuals found in that house have been interviewed, and some interviews remain ongoing," Patel told FOX 13 Seattle. "We will not stop until we interview anyone and everyone associated with the subject, the house and every piece of his life."
Local response in Bellingham was a mix of fear and surprise, as the community grappled to reconcile the tranquility of their surroundings with the intrusion of national terror. Bill Beveridge, a neighbor, expressed his shock to KOMO News, claiming, "It scared the hell out of me." Another neighbor described Lakanwal to KATU as having a demeanor that seemed dismissive of others. "The father had a very mean look, like people were beneath him, like don’t look at me, don’t talk to me - just one of those kind of personalities," said Mouze, a resident of the apartment complex.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro underscored the gravity of the assault during a press briefing, depicting the act as a challenge to national law and order. "This was not just an attack, it was a direct challenge to law and order in our nation’s Capital, and the individual will be made fully accountable," Pirro affirmed, as reported by KOMO News.
