Military Attack Accused Was Isolated for Weeks Alone in Bedroom, Social Worker's Message Indicated.
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The individual accused of shooting two National Guard members in the nation's capital last week had reportedly passed extended periods in solitude in a dark room and experienced "manic episodes," according to comments documented in 2024 by a support worker that helped the suspect's family.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is charged with perpetrating an "ambush" that killed Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and seriously injured Andrew Wolf, 24.
Authorities stated the man in his late twenties came to the US in 2021 under a programme for Afghans who had worked with American troops in Afghanistan.
Revealed Details on Psychological State
According to emails from last year, Mr. Lakanwal faced challenges with his psychological well-being.
In a different message dated on 31 January 2024, the worker said Mr. Lakanwal "spends the majority of his days for weeks on end in his blacked-out bedroom, refusing to talk to anyone, including his wife and older kids."
The case worker, who was not a mental health professional, also said Mr. Lakanwal had "manic episodes for a week or two at a time where he would take off in the family car." They also mentioned he had times in which he would try to "apologize and reconcile."
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History and Recent Developments
Mr. Lakanwal, an citizen of Afghanistan, entered the US via the recent resettlement program. This was in the wake after the chaotic US military exit from Afghanistan.
He applied for refugee status in 2024, and his application was approved recently.
He lived with his wife and five children in a city in Washington state.
"World Relief workers are trying to patch things for that family - but I think the father has mental health issues that are not addressed, and he won't talk to anyone," one part of an previous email states.
Last week, a longtime acquaintance informed a publication that Mr. Lakanwal had dealt with mental health issues after his service with his team in Afghanistan.
Mr. Lakanwal had allegedly been a member of a "special unit" - an local intelligence and militia that collaborated with a US intelligence agency.
Government Response and Charges
In the days after the shooting in Washington DC, the President vowed to "permanently pause migration" from certain countries.
The government has paused all asylum decisions "to guarantee that every alien is thoroughly investigated to the maximum degree possible," a senior official said.
Mr. Lakanwal, who was injured during the incident and is still hospitalized, is facing homicide accusations.
