The man accused of shooting two National Guardsmen near the White House just before Thanksgiving harbored a hidden past, one deeply intertwined with U.S. intelligence operations in Afghanistan. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, wasn’t simply an Afghan refugee; he was a member of an elite, CIA-backed counterterrorism unit.
Lakanwal served within NDS-03, a highly selective group operating from the former compound of Taliban leader Mullah Omar – known to U.S. forces as “Camp Gecko.” These “Zero Units,” as they were called, were rigorously vetted and trained by the CIA, entrusted with some of the most dangerous missions against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
His unit’s operations centered in Afghanistan’s volatile southern provinces – Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan – a region steeped in conflict. Those who worked alongside Lakanwal describe him as courageous and deeply trusted, a vital asset in a brutal war.
Lakanwal arrived in the United States legally in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program designed to resettle Afghans who had aided U.S. forces. He entered under humanitarian parole, seeking refuge after the Taliban’s resurgence.
His asylum application was surprisingly approved in April 2025, during the Trump administration. This approval raises questions about the thoroughness of the vetting process, a point sharply criticized by officials following the shooting.
Following the incident, prominent figures voiced concerns about security protocols. Some argued the shooting underscored the risks of admitting individuals without adequate background checks, questioning the extent of vetting conducted by the Biden administration.
However, a senior U.S. official revealed the CIA had initially vetted Lakanwal around 2011, utilizing databases like the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) to identify any potential links to terrorist organizations. At the time, he was likely only 15 years old.
The official acknowledged a common practice of age falsification among Afghan applicants seeking to work with U.S. forces, due to the scarcity of official birth records and the difficulty in verifying ages. This practice complicated the vetting process.
Further vetting occurred during Operation Allies Welcome in 2021, again revealing no red flags. According to the official, Lakanwal “was clean on all checks.” Continuous annual vetting followed his arrival, prompted by previous security concerns involving other Afghan evacuees.
The shooting occurred near the Farragut West Metro station around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, leaving National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, critically wounded. Authorities described the attack as a deliberate ambush.
Lakanwal was shot by a responding Guardsman and taken into custody, currently hospitalized under heavy guard. Both Beckstrom and Wolfe underwent surgery and remain in critical condition, their futures uncertain.
The incident has ignited a debate about the complexities of resettlement programs and the challenges of balancing compassion with national security, leaving many to question how someone with such a past could have been involved in this violent act.
