The Afghan national accused of opening fire on two West Virginia National Guardsmen near the White House passed through multiple layers of federal screening over a four-year period, securing approvals under both the Biden and Trump administrations before the attack, according to a top intelligence analyst.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, identified by authorities as the shooter, originally entered the United States on humanitarian parole following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. However, new details provided by Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller indicate that Lakanwal underwent a second, formal vetting process just months ago, receiving asylum approval in April 2025.
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Speaking on "Anderson 360," Miller outlined a timeline that spans two presidencies. Lakanwal arrived during the initial influx of refugees fleeing the Taliban takeover, a period defined by the frantic processing of approximately 80,000 evacuees.
"He comes here from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021," Miller explained, noting the suspect settled in Washington state, on the opposite side of the country from the capital. "Remember what that was like... People had to be recommended by U.S. people on one end, vetted on this end by government background checks as far as they could do in Afghanistan."
While Lakanwal entered under the Biden administration, his permanent status was solidified recently. Miller noted that the suspect applied for asylum in December 2024 and was formally approved in April of this year, during the current Trump administration.
"He goes through another vetting process involving that," Miller said. "These checks are being done."
The analyst, drawing on his past experience with the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York, described the 2021 vetting environment as one of immense pressure. Evacuees were often housed at eight different military bases while intelligence teams raced to screen them. Miller suggested Lakanwal likely qualified for the Allies Welcome Program, implying he had worked directly with or alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
READ:FLASHBACK: Dems, Corporate Media Espoused Anti-National Guard Rhetoric Leading Up To Shooting
Federal records confirm that humanitarian parole was utilized broadly in 2021 to expedite the evacuation as Kabul fell. Oversight documents have since revealed that officials occasionally had to revisit cases and re-screen individuals as new intelligence surfaced—a reality Miller alluded to when describing the strain on the system.
The shooting comes amid heightened security tensions in the District. On August 11, President Donald Trump ordered a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department following a surge in crime, including an incident where Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine was severely injured.
In the wake of Wednesday's shooting, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
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