Two National Guard members were shot in Washington, DC, on Wednesday; authorities say the alleged shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had worked with CIA-backed units in Afghanistan and entered the United States in September 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program. The CIA connection was confirmed to media on Wednesday evening by agency leadership, while The New York Times reports Lakanwal served with multiple U.S. government-linked units in Kandahar. In the wake of the attack, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services halted processing of Afghan residency applications and the White House moved additional National Guard troops to the capital. The incident has prompted national security reviews and sharp public debate over vetting and resettlement policies.
- Suspect identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, age 29; reportedly arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome.
- The CIA has acknowledged Lakanwal worked with a partner force in Kandahar during the U.S. war in Afghanistan, according to media statements by agency leadership on Wednesday evening.
- The New York Times reported the suspect worked with several U.S. government-linked units in Afghanistan, including a CIA-backed unit based in southern Kandahar.
- Two National Guard members were shot; authorities are treating the incident as a criminal act under investigation by local and federal law enforcement.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an immediate, indefinite pause on processing residency applications from Afghan nationals pending review of vetting protocols.
- Following the shooting, the White House ordered 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, and senior officials described the violence as an act of terror.
- The case has renewed scrutiny of Operation Allies Welcome, the special-immigrant intake processes used after U.S. withdrawal, and interagency vetting coordination.
Background
The suspect’s arrival under Operation Allies Welcome places him among thousands of Afghans resettled in the United States after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. That program provided expedited entry for Afghans who had worked with U.S. forces or government partners, including interpreters, support staff and members of partner security units. Resettlement and vetting were conducted across multiple agencies during a chaotic evacuation in August–September 2021, a period officials have repeatedly described as operationally difficult.
U.S. intelligence and defense operations in southern Afghanistan often relied on partner forces in provinces such as Kandahar; some of those units received training, funding, or operational support from U.S. Special Operations and intelligence elements. Reporting by major outlets has traced how partner-force arrangements were structured and how personnel were sometimes transitioned out of field roles after the U.S. exit. Those arrangements are central to debates over who qualified for expedited entry and how background checks were performed in compressed timeframes.
Main Event
Law enforcement responded to a shooting in Washington, DC, on Wednesday that left two National Guard members wounded. Officials identified the alleged shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal and said the attack occurred in a public area where guard personnel were present on duty. Local police secured the scene and turned the investigation over to federal authorities due to the suspect’s background and potential national-security implications.
Agency statements on Wednesday evening included confirmation that Lakanwal had worked with a CIA-supported partner unit in Kandahar during the war in Afghanistan. Media accounts cite senior officials who describe that affiliation as part of his service with U.S.-linked security elements in the region; some involvement reportedly ended shortly after the 2021 evacuation. Authorities say they are reviewing immigration, security and military records to establish a clear timeline of Lakanwal’s roles and movements.
In response to the shooting, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an immediate halt to processing Afghan residency applications, citing the need to reassess security and vetting procedures. The administration also ordered 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington to support security operations. Senior political leaders and law enforcement officials have described the shooting in strong terms while investigations remain active.
Analysis & Implications
This incident sharpens existing tensions over resettlement policy and the balance between rapid humanitarian intake and thorough background vetting. Operation Allies Welcome was executed under urgent conditions in 2021, when agencies prioritized evacuation and protection; accelerated processing was sometimes necessary to move vulnerable partners out of Afghanistan. Critics argue that speed created vetting gaps, while defenders say most arrivals were properly screened and that isolated incidents should not eclipse the broader humanitarian record.
The confirmation of ties to a CIA-backed partner force complicates simple narratives: many Afghan partners who aided U.S. efforts were not formal U.S. employees but worked alongside American units, which raised complex classification and vetting questions. If investigations substantiate the agency link, policymakers will face pressure to tighten interagency information-sharing and post-arrival monitoring without dismantling resettlement pathways for at-risk allies.
Politically, the case is likely to be leveraged by opponents of current immigration policy and by those advocating for stronger border and vetting controls. Operationally, federal agencies must reconcile the need for rapid intelligence checks with legal and logistical constraints on access to overseas records. Internationally, allies watching the U.S. response may reassess collaborative evacuation arrangements and the responsibilities attached to partner-force admissions.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Suspect arrival | September 2021 (Operation Allies Welcome) |
| Suspect | Rahmanullah Lakanwal, age 29 |
| Victims | 2 National Guard members shot (Washington, DC) |
| Federal response | 500 additional National Guard troops ordered |
| USCIS action | Processing of Afghan residency applications paused (indefinite) |
The table summarizes the immediate, verifiable data points reported by officials and major outlets. These entries provide a compact timeline and show where policy action—such as the USCIS pause and troop deployments—took place in direct response to the shooting. Analysts will watch whether the pause becomes policy reform or a temporary operational hold while investigations proceed.
Reactions & Quotes
“The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the US government, including CIA.”
John Ratcliffe, agency leadership (media statement)
This statement was delivered to media on Wednesday evening and situates the suspect’s entry in the context of his prior work with U.S.-linked forces. Officials emphasized that the individual’s partner-force role was the basis for evacuation under Operation Allies Welcome, and that involvement concluded soon after the 2021 withdrawal.
“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (official social media)
USCIS issued the pause as a direct administrative response to the shooting; the agency framed the move as a precautionary, procedural review. The announcement triggered questions from resettlement organizations and lawmakers about the potential scope and duration of the hold.
“This was an act of terror,” and “immigration is the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.”
Donald Trump (public statement)
The former president characterized the episode with strong language and urged tougher immigration measures. Political leaders across the spectrum responded, with some calling for measured investigations before policy shifts and others pressing for immediate changes to vetting and entry procedures.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Lakanwal’s alleged partner-unit activities included operational roles that directly involved U.S. personnel remains under investigation and unverified in public records.
- No public confirmation yet that gaps in vetting directly enabled the suspect’s entry; causation between processing speed and this specific incident is not established.
- Full motive for the shooting and any additional actors or planning remain under investigation and have not been confirmed by law enforcement publicly.
Bottom Line
The shooting in Washington, DC, and the subsequent confirmation of ties between the suspect and a CIA-backed partner force in Kandahar have moved a long-standing policy debate into sharper focus: how to reconcile rapid humanitarian evacuation with robust security screening. Authorities have acted quickly—pausing Afghan residency processing and deploying additional National Guard troops—but these steps are administrative and investigative, not final determinations of systemic failure.
Investigations will need to establish the suspect’s precise activities in Afghanistan, the completeness of his vetting before resettlement, and whether procedural changes can reasonably reduce risk without foreclosing refuge for allies. For policymakers and the public, the key questions will be verification of facts, targeted reforms to interagency vetting, and maintaining accountability to both security and humanitarian obligations.
Sources
- The Guardian (news report)
- The New York Times (press reporting on suspect’s service in Afghanistan)
- Fox News Digital (media outlet reporting on agency statements)
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (official agency announcement / social media)