Both injured guards remain in critical condition, fighting for their lives in a Washington hospital. Authorities, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Mayor Muriel Bowser, described the attack as a targeted shooting, a phrase that has unsettled officials and residents alike.
Jeffrey Carroll, Executive Assistant Chief of the Metropolitan Police, added that the assault appeared both sudden and deliberate, carried out with what he called a calculated calm.
According to early reports, including those by the New York Post, Lakanwal allegedly positioned himself near the Farragut West Metro Station shortly after 2:15 p.m., lying in wait.
He is said to have first targeted a female guard, firing once into her chest and then again at her head. Moments later, he attempted to shoot a second guard but was swiftly subdued by a third service member who acted with remarkable presence of mind.
In the hours after the shooting, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially reported the deaths of both injured guards on social media, only to retract the statement later, citing conflicting information. Officials have withheld the victims’ names until their families are formally notified.
Who Is Rahmanullah Lakanwal?
A clearer picture of the suspect has begun to emerge, though much remains shrouded in confusion and heartbreak. According to NBC News, a close relative revealed that Lakanwal served ten years in the Afghan military and had worked alongside U.S. Special Forces in Kandahar. After arriving in the U.S., he settled in Washington State, where he lived with his wife and five children.
Family members say they lost contact with him months ago and are at a loss to explain what might have driven him to such violence. One relative confessed that their own family had been targeted by the Taliban, making the allegations against Lakanwal feel painfully out of character.
He added, with visible anguish, that they were still struggling to make sense of something that simply refuses to make sense.
The incident has already stirred political waters in Washington. Former President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as “evil, hate-driven, and an act of terror,” renewing his call for a comprehensive review of Afghan nationals admitted during the Biden administration.
Trump insisted that every Afghan entrant from that period must undergo a fresh and thorough vetting, suggesting that the country “cannot afford to overlook even the faintest shadow of risk.”
