The Afghan refugee who is the main accused in the shooting of two members of the US National Guard had lived a quiet family life in Bellingham, Washington.
Ramanullah Lakanwal, 29, lived in a $2,000 rented apartment with his wife and five children, according to neighbours. They said he was often seen playing Call of Duty and FIFA inside the bare apartment and that they “never made a peep.” Neighbours reported the family had no beds or furnishings except for a few cushions which they used to sleep on.
One neighbour who spoke to the New York Post said Lakanwal did not speak much English. His oldest child is 14. The neighbour said Bellingham is very liberal and that the area housing Afghan refugees was “very welcoming, very diverse, very open.”
Lakanwal, who once worked with the CIA, came to the US during the Biden era under the Operation Allies Welcome program in September 2021, which gave some Afghans who worked for the US government entry visas. He was granted asylum in April this year under the Trump administration, Reuters reported.
The CIA confirmed he worked with their military units during the US war in Afghanistan, helping guard US forces at Kabul airport as thousands fled the country before it fell to the Taliban. A former military commander who served alongside him described him as a “sporty and jolly character” to the BBC. Lakanwal’s cousin told the Associated Press he was originally from Khost province.
He faces at least three counts of assault with intent to kill and criminal possession of a weapon.
On Wednesday, Lakanwal allegedly shot two National Guard troops just a few blocks from the White House with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died after succumbing to her injuries; Andrew Wolfe was critically injured. Lakanwal was also left with gunshot wounds in the melee that followed.
About 16 hours later, the FBI forced entry into the gunman’s apartment. Neighbours recalled officers removing everyone from the apartment but said his children were not there. “They took everybody out of the apartment but I don’t think the kids were there. It’s pretty shocking. Every sign in the world is pointing (to Lakanwal being the shooter) but there are some things that just aren’t adding up,” one neighbour said.
One local recalled hearing loud banging on the door and people yelling “FBI.” “One thing that stuck out to us was that law enforcement didn’t show up until 16, 17 hours after it happened. It’s hard to (know why he did it) because you don’t know his mindset. You know if he just snapped,” they said.
The motive behind the shooting is still unknown. Officials said Lakanwal drove thousands of miles across the country before the attack.
