Two National Guard members were shot last week while patrolling downtown Washington. One died, and the other is in critical condition.

The suspected shooter was identified as Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal on Wednesday. After having worked with the CIA under the Afghan “Zero Units” team prior to the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Lakanwal came to the United States under former President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome.” Lakanwal then applied for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2024 and was approved in 2025.