Members of legislation enforcement, together with the Secret Service and Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Division, reply to a taking pictures close to the White Home on Nov. 26. Two West Virginia Nationwide Guard members have been shot blocks from the White Home.
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When Rahmanullah Lakanwal got here to the U.S. from Afghanistan, he appeared full of life and stuffed with hope, however over the course of years, he slipped into isolation and was susceptible to taking cross-country drives with out telling his household, based on a volunteer who labored carefully together with his household.
Lakanwal, an Afghan nationwide, is accused of taking pictures two Nationwide Guard troopers on Nov. 26. A kind of troopers, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her wounds. On Monday, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey described the opposite guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, as in “critical” situation.
“My largest concern was that [Lakanwal] would hurt himself,” the refugee resettlement volunteer advised NPR. “I anxious he can be suicidal as a result of he was so withdrawn.”
The volunteer spoke with NPR on situation of anonymity as a result of they stated they feared for his or her security, in addition to the protection of others of their volunteer group, due to attainable retaliation for having labored with Afghan refugees, together with the Lakanwals.
They stated after they first met Lakanwal in 2022 at his residence in Bellingham, Wash., he appeared hopeful and outgoing. “He was outdoors together with his children, laughing and taking part in and having animated conversations with different Afghan males,” they stated.
Lakanwal held jobs for temporary durations and hosted gatherings at his residence, the volunteer stated, however by 2023 he started isolating himself and appeared “defeated” by the challenges of discovering regular work and adapting to life in america.
The volunteer shared with NPR emails despatched in January 2024 that raised alarms about Lakanwal’s well-being. The Related Press first reported about the contents of the emails on Saturday.
“He spends most of his time in his darkened bed room, not chatting with anybody, not even his spouse and older children,” one e mail stated. “I personally consider that [Mr. Lakanwal] is affected by each PTSD and from his work with the US army in Afghanistan,” the volunteer wrote, including that they’re “not a healthcare skilled.”
Talking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem stated U.S. officers consider Lakanwal was “radicalized” whereas residing in america.
“We do consider it was via connections in his residence group and state, and we’ll proceed to speak to those that interacted with him,” Noem stated.
However the volunteer who labored with Lakanwal and different Afghan refugees in Washington state advised NPR they noticed no signal of radicalization. As an alternative they described a person who appeared to be experiencing a deepening private disaster, difficult by Lakanwal’s poor English-language abilities and deepening cultural isolation. The volunteer stated there have been no organized assets for refugees past their preliminary welcome.
“Households have been simply in my thoughts deserted into the group,” the volunteer stated.
This photograph offered by the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace on Nov. 27 exhibits Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
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AP/U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace
Earlier than coming to the U.S. in 2021, Lakanwal served in one among Afghanistan’s elite counterterrorism models, based on AfghanEvac, a nonprofit that helps Afghan refugees and is run by U.S. veterans and others who served in Afghanistan. Lakanwal’s unit was operated by the CIA with direct U.S. intelligence and army assist, based on AfghanEvac, and fought the Taliban on behalf of the U.S. authorities.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated in a press release final week that the shooter concerned within the assault was admitted into the U.S. “attributable to his prior work with the U.S. Authorities, together with CIA.”
The volunteer advised NPR they’d no detailed information of Lakanwal’s army duties and by no means noticed him expressing hostility towards america. They stated his more and more erratic habits by no means prompt any sort of risk or hazard.
“I used to be so shocked that this occurred. I requested myself, ‘Have been there warning indicators?’ No,” the volunteer stated.
Whereas the volunteer could not present perception into Lakanwal’s attainable motive for the alleged assault, they have been conscious of him making lengthy drives just like the one which took him to Washington, D.C., final week. Starting in 2023, Lakanwal would disappear for weeks at a time within the household automotive, roaming so far as Arizona and Illinois.
“He drives day and night time and sends map pins to one of many volunteer sponsors and we will seize pictures from Instagram tales, however no different communication. His household usually doesn’t know the place he’s or when he will likely be again,” stated one of many volunteer group emails written in January 2024.
Emails shared with NPR additionally point out volunteers in Washington state tried to succeed in out to skilled refugee assist teams, together with World Aid and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), hoping to seek out assist for Lakanwal’s deteriorating psychological state, however they obtained restricted response.
“A gaggle of involved people [volunteering on refugee resettlement] within the Seattle space had a gathering in January 2024 to speak about dwindling assets for these households, and frustration was expressed,” the volunteer advised NPR.
NPR reached out to World Aid and USCRI for remark. USCRI did not reply. World Aid despatched a press release declining to say whether or not the group had any involvement in Lakanwal’s resettlement in america.
“We can not affirm whether or not or not we’ve served any particular shopper with out permission from our federal authorities companions who administered the method for bringing Afghans to america starting in 2021,” the World Aid assertion stated.
The group added that it “offered companies to these [refugees] assigned to us by our governmental companions” and stated it’s supporting legislation enforcement within the investigation of Lakanwal’s case.
Following final week’s violence, the Trump administration moved to freeze refugee circumstances involving Afghan nationals and launched a evaluation of refugees and migrants from greater than a dozen international locations residing legally inside america. Activists working with asylum-seekers from Afghanistan advised NPR they view Lakanwal’s alleged violence as an remoted case.
“You’ll be able to’t paint with a broad brush this complete group. The overwhelming majority of Afghans who’ve come listed here are simply good upstanding residents,” stated Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran who heads the group AfghanEvac.
