Military Shooting Suspect Spent Weeks Alone in Room, Social Worker's Message Revealed.
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The individual accused of firing upon two National Guard members in Washington DC last week had according to accounts spent weeks at a time alone in a dark room and suffered from "manic episodes," as per comments written in 2024 by a support worker that helped the individual's family.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is charged with perpetrating an "ambush" that took the life of Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded Andrew Wolf, 24.
Authorities stated the man in his late twenties entered the US in 2021 under a initiative for Afghans who had assisted American troops in Afghanistan.
Emerging Details on Mental Health
According to emails from last year, Mr. Lakanwal struggled with his psychological well-being.
In a separate email dated on 31 January 2024, the case worker said Mr. Lakanwal "passes the majority of his days for consecutive weeks in his blacked-out bedroom, not speaking to anyone, not even his spouse and children."
The case worker, who was not a mental health professional, also said Mr. Lakanwal had "hyperactive periods for a week or two at a time where he would take off in the family car." They also described he had times in which he would try to "apologize and reconcile."
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Background and Current Events
Mr. Lakanwal, an citizen of Afghanistan, came to the US via the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome. This was in the wake after the chaotic US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He sought asylum in 2024, and his request was approved earlier this year.
He resided with his wife and five children in Bellingham, Washington.
"Aid group workers are attempting to assist for that family - but I think the father has mental health issues that are untreated, and he refuses to speak with anybody," one part of an previous email states.
Last week, a childhood friend told a publication that Mr. Lakanwal had experienced psychological challenges after his work with his team in Afghanistan.
Mr. Lakanwal had allegedly been a part of a "Zero Unit" - an Afghan intelligence and militia that worked with a American spy agency.
Government Response and Legal Proceedings
In the days after the attack in Washington DC, the administration pledged to "halt immigration" from certain countries.
The government has halted all asylum decisions "to guarantee that every individual is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible," a director said.
Mr. Lakanwal, who was shot in the event and remains in hospital, is facing murder charges.
