New information emerging Thursday suggests the suspected gunman in the shooting that critically wounded two National Guard members near the White House had past ties to U.S. government operations in Afghanistan, including work alongside CIA personnel.
Authorities have not said whether the suspect’s background is relevant to motive, mental state, or overall threat assessment.
As Fox News reports:
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, entered the United States on the heels of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 under the Biden administration. Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. a month later under “Operation Allies Welcome.”
Intelligence sources told Fox News Digital that Lakanwal had a prior relationship with various entities in the U.S. government, including the CIA, due to his work as a member of a partner force in Kandahar.
“In the wake of the disastrous Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital.
“The individual—and so many others—should have never been allowed to come here,” Ratcliffe continued. “Our citizens and service members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s catastrophic failures.”
Lakanwal’s parole status under “Operation Allies Welcome” expired in mid-2024, leaving him undocumented and ineligible for work.
He applied for asylum in December 2024, and the application was approved in April 2025 — three months into President Donald Trump’s second term. The approval granted him protected status and a work permit.
Following Lakanwal’s alleged involvement in the shooting, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an immediate and indefinite halt to the processing of all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals, pending a review of security and vetting protocols. President Trump also called for a reevaluation of the immigration statuses of all Afghan migrants admitted during the Biden administration.
The shooting unfolded just hundreds of feet from the president’s official residence. A large emergency response followed, prompting tightened security and a temporary lockdown of the surrounding area.
FBI Director Kash Patel and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser described the incident as a “brazen act of violence” and an “act of terror.” Trump, who was in Florida at the time, issued an emergency statement condemning the “heinous assault,” saying the “animal” responsible would face the “steepest possible price.”
READ NEXT: The Legal Fight To Reverse Trump’s Conviction – And Why It Matters
