United States authorities have revealed fresh details about the Afghan immigrant accused of shooting National Guard members in Washington, D.C., Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
The authorities said the suspect was not radicalised until after he came to the United States.
Speaking on Sunday, November 30, 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said authorities think Lakanwal was already living in Washington when he became radicalised.
Noem added that investigators are seeking more information from family members and others.
Authorities identified Lakanwal, 29, as the suspect in a Wednesday shooting that took place just blocks away from the White House and which killed one National Guard member and critically wounded another.
After the shooting, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration pointed to a lack of vetting of Afghans and other foreign nationals during the term of former President Joe Biden, although Lakanwal was granted asylum under Trump.
Trump told reporters on Sunday his administration could pause asylum admissions into the United States for an extended period.
Suspect identified as Afghan national after shooting 2 National Guard soldiers near White House
“No time limit, but it could be a long time. We have enough problems. We don’t want those people,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of the Biden administration’s mass evacuation of Afghans who aided U.S. forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan as the Taliban took power.
He was granted asylum in April by Trump’s administration, a government file reviewed by Reuters showed.
Noem’s comments suggest Lakanwal, who was part of a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan, may have embraced extremism after arriving in the United States.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week,” Noem said: “We believe he was radicalised since he’s been here in this country.
“We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members.”
Noem said U.S. officials have received “some participation” so far from people who knew Lakanwal and warned the U.S. would pursue anyone connected to the shooting.
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