Military Attack Suspect Was Isolated for Weeks Alone in Bedroom, Case Worker's Message Indicated.
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The individual alleged to have carried out shooting two National Guard members in the nation's capital recently had reportedly spent extended periods in solitude in a dark room and suffered from "manic episodes," according to comments written in 2024 by a support worker that helped the individual's family.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is charged with perpetrating an "surprise attack" that killed Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and seriously injured Andrew Wolf, 24.
Officials said the 29-year-old entered the US in 2021 as part of a programme for Afghans who had assisted American troops in Afghanistan.
Emerging Information on Psychological State
According to electronic correspondence from last year, Mr. Lakanwal faced challenges with his mental health.
In a separate email sent on 31 January 2024, the worker said Mr. Lakanwal "passes most of his time for consecutive weeks in his darkened bedroom, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife and older kids."
The individual, who was not a clinician, also said Mr. Lakanwal had "hyperactive periods for a week or two at a time where he would drive away in the family car." They also mentioned he had periods in which he would try to "make amends."
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Background and Recent Events
Mr. Lakanwal, an citizen of Afghanistan, came to the US via the recent Operation Allies Welcome. This was in the wake after the disorderly US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He applied for asylum in 2024, and his application was granted recently.
He lived with his wife and five children in Bellingham, Washington.
"World Relief volunteers are trying to patch things for that family - but I think the father has mental health issues that are not addressed, and he refuses to speak with anybody," one part of an previous email reads.
Last week, a childhood friend informed a newspaper that Mr. Lakanwal had dealt with mental health issues after his work with his team in Afghanistan.
Mr. Lakanwal had reportedly been a member of a "Zero Unit" - an local intelligence and militia that collaborated with a American spy agency.
Official Response and Charges
In the days after the shooting in Washington DC, the President pledged to "permanently pause immigration" from certain countries.
The administration has halted all asylum decisions "until we can ensure that every individual is thoroughly investigated to the fullest extent," a senior official stated.
Mr. Lakanwal, who was shot in the event and is still hospitalized, faces murder charges.
