WASHINGTON: A man suspected of shooting two National Guard soldiers near the White House was an Afghan national who had served alongside American troops in Afghanistan, US media reported Wednesday, as Washington labelled the incident an “act of terror.”
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, opened fire and wounded the soldiers on patrol Wednesday afternoon, before he was shot and hospitalized, the New York Times, CBS, NBC and others reported.
Without naming him, US security chief Kristi Noem said on social media that the suspect “was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome.”
The program, launched by former president Joe Biden, offered vulnerable Afghans, including those who served alongside US forces, the chance to resettle in the United States after the return of the Taliban government.
NBC quoted a relative of the suspect, who said Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021 having served in the Afghan army for 10 years alongside US Special Forces, largely based in Kandahar.
