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The Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., last week is believed to have been "radicalized" after arriving in the U.S., Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday (November 30).
Noem echoed President Donald Trump's public vow to carry out mass deportations of migrants who came from "third world" countries following the shooting, which resulted in one victim's death and the other being in critical condition, and said the asylum process would only be reopened after officials clear up the backlog of cases.
“I will say we believe he was radicalized since he’s been here in this country,” Noem said. “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.”
“So far we’ve had some participation,” she added. “We will never allow this to continue to happen in our country, allow individuals who came to our country that were unvetted by [former President] Joe Biden, allowed to run free and loose.”
Noem added that migrants with pending asylum claims could also face potential deportation.
“If they shouldn’t be, absolutely. Yes. We are going to go through every single person that has a pending asylum claim, has an asylum claim here in this country,” she said. “[We will] ensure that they deserve to still be in this country, that they still have the purposes for which they claimed that asylum in place.”
“And that they’re not here being radicalized, and perpetuating dangerous criminal activity against our Americans.”
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, who was initially charged with three counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed and criminal possession of a weapon, is now facing a first-degree murder charge, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced during an appearance on FOX & Friends Friday (November 27) morning.
“What happened at that crime is unmistakable. It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn’t know it was coming,” Pirro said. “This is a case that has touched the hearts of so many Americans … to be gunned down on the streets on the nation’s holiday is an outrage — and the individual who did this will pay the ultimate price.”
President Trump announced the death of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard members involved in a "targeted" shooting, during a phone call with U.S. troops on Thursday.
“I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about — highly respected, young, magnificent person, started service in June of 2023 outstanding in every way — she’s just passed away, she’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” he said via NBC News.
Beckstrom's death came hours after her father, Gary, said she wasn't expected to survive after being reported to be in critical condition.
“She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery,” Gary told the New York Times.
“I’m holding her hand right now,” he added.
Sarah was reportedly shot in the head and chest during an incident that took place nearby the White House on Wednesday (November 26) afternoon. Officials also identified the second victim in critical condition as Wolfe, who was also deployed to Washington, D.C., and serving on patrol prior to the shooting.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national, was identified as the shooter, officials and a relative confirmed via NBC News. Lakanwal was also shot during the incident and is also hospitalized, according to authorities.
The incident is believed to be a targeted shooting. A relative said that Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021, having previously served 10 years in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces troops, which included being stationed at a base in Kandahar.
“We were the ones that were targeted by the Taliban in Afghanistan,” the relative said, specifying that he and Lakanwal were supporting U.S. troops.
“I cannot believe it that he might do this,” he added.
Lakanwal came to the U.S. five months after former President Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which resulted in the Taliban reclaiming power in the country. Lakanwal, who grew up in the Khost province, was reportedly living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children prior to the shooting and worked for Amazon and Amazon Flex when the relative had last spoken to him several months prior.
“I don’t know what happened,” the relative told NBC News. “I need your help to know why this happened.”