A National Guard member succumbed to injuries sustained during a shooting near the White House, prompting President Donald Trump to vow a rigorous review of Afghan refugee vetting processes and halt immigration processing for Afghan nationals. Twenty-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, serving since June 2023, died following the Wednesday afternoon attack; a second service member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Speaking during a Thanksgiving address to U.S. military personnel, President Trump identified Beckstrom, a West Virginia native, and condemned the incident as an act of terrorism, stating he learned of her death moments before his public remarks.
The violence unfolded at approximately 2:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday near the Farragut Square Metro Station, an area frequently patrolled by augmented security forces in Washington, D.C. Joint Task Force D.C., the entity overseeing National Guard operations in the region, confirmed the location. Both soldiers were shot while on duty.
Suspect Identified, Vetting Questioned
The individual taken into custody following the shooting was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghani national. Local media reports indicate Lakanwal had professional ties to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) while in Afghanistan before relocating to the United States in 2021. Prosecutors confirmed the alleged assailant traveled cross-country, driving from his residence in Bellingham, Washington state, to the nation’s capital to carry out the attack.
The incident immediately triggered intense scrutiny of U.S. immigration and vetting procedures. A U.S. official informed CNN that Lakanwal successfully passed all required background checks both preceding his cooperation with the CIA abroad and before his subsequent entry and relocation to the U.S.
Policy Shifts Follow Attack
In the wake of the targeted attack, the Trump administration initiated sweeping policy changes concerning immigration from Afghanistan. President Trump pledged a comprehensive re-evaluation of every individual admitted to the U.S. from Afghanistan under the previous administration, promising measures to deport those deemed not beneficial or belonging to the country.
Simultaneously, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an indefinite suspension of all immigration-related processing for Afghan nationals. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow later confirmed he had acted on presidential directives, ordering a full, stringent review of green cards held by foreign nationals from 19 identified “countries of concern,” with Afghanistan explicitly named among them.
The tragedy underscores the heightened security challenges facing Washington, D.C., and highlights the profound human cost borne by service members deployed domestically. Authorities continue investigating the motive behind the attack and whether Lakanwal acted alone. This review of immigration policies signals an immediate and substantial shift in how the U.S. approaches the resettlement of individuals tied to overseas operations.