US probes mental health, radicalization claims after Afghan charged in National Guard shooting

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – US authorities are investigating the background of an Afghan asylum recipient accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member and critically injuring another in Washington, D.C., amid concerns over his mental health and alleged radicalization within the US, media reports said on Sunday.

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome following the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and was granted asylum in April 2025 after undergoing extensive vetting, according to CBS News and NBC News.

CBS obtained caseworker emails from early 2024 indicating that Lakanwal had struggled with mental health issues, unemployment, and isolation since at least March 2023.

One email described him as spending “weeks on end in his darkened bedroom,” showing signs of “manic episodes” and possible PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from his military service alongside US forces in southern Afghanistan.

“This violent act does not reflect the Afghan community,” said Shawn VanDiver, head of AfghanEvac, stressing that Afghans undergo “some of the most extensive vetting” of any immigrant group.

Lakanwal had reportedly driven across the country from Bellingham to Washington, D.C., prior to the shooting, in which 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was killed, and 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe was critically injured.

Lakanwal was shot by a fellow Guard member and remains hospitalized on a ventilator, complicating interrogation efforts.

US intelligence officials told CBS that early reviews of Lakanwal’s digital communications have found no evidence of ties to foreign extremist groups or handlers.

- Radicalized in US

However, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Lakanwal was “radicalized since he’s been here in this country,” suggesting local influences may have played a role.

“We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state,” she said, though no additional details or evidence were presented.

NBC News reported that Lakanwal’s asylum vetting process began under the Biden administration but was completed and approved during the Trump administration.

Both administrations have traded blame, with former officials questioning the thoroughness of initial screening under Operation Allies Welcome.

Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed there was “minimal to little vetting,” a claim that officials close to the process dispute.

Lakanwal’s mental health struggles were previously documented in January 2024, months before his asylum approval.

A former Afghan commando told CBS that the death of Lakanwal’s close friend, also a former Afghan officer, in 2024 deeply affected him.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed last week that Lakanwal will face first-degree murder charges. The FBI and other agencies continue to investigate the attack and its motives.