National Guard Shooting Accused Spent Weeks Isolated in Bedroom, Case Worker's Email Revealed.
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The individual alleged to have carried out shooting two military personnel in Washington DC recently had according to accounts spent weeks at a time in solitude in a dark room and suffered from "periods of mania," according to comments documented in 2024 by a case worker who assisted the individual's family.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of perpetrating an "ambush" that took the life of Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and seriously injured Andrew Wolf, 24.
Authorities said the 29-year-old came to the US in 2021 as part of a programme for Afghans who had assisted US forces in Afghanistan.
Revealed Information on Psychological State
According to emails from last year, Mr. Lakanwal struggled with his psychological well-being.
In a different email dated on 31 January 2024, the worker noted Mr. Lakanwal "spends the majority of his days for weeks on end in his blacked-out bedroom, refusing to talk to a soul, including his wife and older kids."
The individual, who was not a clinician, also said Mr. Lakanwal had "hyperactive periods for one or two weeks at a time where he would drive away in the family car." They also mentioned he had periods in which he would try to "apologize and reconcile."
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Background and Current Developments
Mr. Lakanwal, an Afghan national, came to the US as part of the Biden-era resettlement program. This was in the wake after the chaotic US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He sought asylum in 2024, and his request was granted recently.
He resided with his wife and five children in a city in Washington state.
"World Relief workers are attempting to assist for that family - but I think the father has psychological problems that are not addressed, and he refuses to speak with anyone," a section of an previous email states.
Last week, a childhood friend informed a newspaper that Mr. Lakanwal had experienced mental health issues after his work with his team in Afghanistan.
Mr. Lakanwal had allegedly been a part of a "Zero Unit" - an local intelligence and militia that collaborated with a US intelligence agency.
Government Reaction and Charges
In the days after the shooting in the capital, the administration vowed to "halt immigration" from certain countries.
The government has paused all asylum decisions "until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible," a senior official said.
Mr. Lakanwal, who was shot in the event and remains in hospital, faces murder charges.
