Suspect in National Guard attack struggled with ‘dark isolation’ as community raised concerns

The Afghan man accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member near the White House last week had shown alarming behavioral changes and mental health deterioration for months prior to the attack, according to emails obtained by The Associated Press.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting that killed West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, had reportedly been struggling significantly with his adjustment to life in the United States.

The emails reveal a pattern of increasingly concerning behavior that had prompted a community advocate to reach out to a refugee support organization earlier this year, fearing Lakanwal might harm himself. The correspondence provides the most comprehensive picture yet of the suspect’s troubled state in the months leading up to the Thanksgiving eve attack that shocked Washington, D.C.

“Rahmanullah has not been functional as a person, father and provider since March of last year,” stated a January 2024 email sent to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). The community member, who spoke on condition of anonymity while cooperating with the FBI investigation, described a man who cycled between profound isolation and impulsive travel.

Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program established to resettle Afghans following America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Many program participants, like Lakanwal, had worked alongside U.S. forces. In Afghanistan, he had served in a specialized “Zero Unit” of the Afghan Army that received backing from the CIA.

After resettling in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five young sons, all under age 12, Lakanwal struggled to adapt. By March 2023, he had quit his job and begun displaying alarming behavioral changes, according to the community advocate who had been monitoring the family’s situation.

The emails described prolonged periods where Lakanwal would shut himself in a darkened room, refusing to communicate with anyone, including his wife and older children. Family members reportedly resorted to sending his toddler sons into his room with messages because he would not respond to anyone else. During weeks when his wife traveled to visit relatives, his children would go unbathed, with unchanged clothes and poor nutrition, prompting concerns from their school.

These dark periods would occasionally be interrupted by brief attempts to “do the right things,” including re-engaging with mandatory requirements from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. However, these improvements would quickly give way to what the community member described as “manic episodes” during which Lakanwal would take the family car and drive across the country, once to Chicago and another time to Arizona.

The family’s financial situation had deteriorated to the point of facing eviction in 2023 after months of unpaid rent. The community member emphasized that while they feared Lakanwal might harm himself due to apparent depression, they never observed any indication that he might commit violence against others.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that Lakanwal drove approximately 2,800 miles from Bellingham to Washington, D.C. specifically to carry out the attack on the National Guard members. Investigators are still working to establish a motive.

In response to the January and February 2024 emails detailing concerns about Lakanwal’s mental state, USCRI representatives reportedly visited Bellingham in March and attempted to make contact with Lakanwal and his family. According to the community member, no updates were provided after this visit, leading them to believe Lakanwal had refused assistance. USCRI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The shooting, which occurred just blocks from the White House, has raised questions about the effectiveness of support systems for refugees adjusting to life in the United States, particularly those who may have experienced trauma during their service alongside American forces in conflict zones.