DC National Guard shooting suspect said to suffer trauma after fighting for CIA-backed 'Zero Unit'

WASHINGTON, DC: The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Afghan national accused of firing at two members of the West Virginia National Guard in the vicinity of the White House is now alleged to have been a part of a CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary unit known for its rapid and brutal raids during the US war in Afghanistan, according to various news reports.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, who was injured and taken into custody after the incident, is said to have had long-term psychological trauma from years of combat, which friends suggest might have been a factor in the violent outburst.

The killing of the 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and the critical injury of the 24-year-old Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe were caused by the shooting incident, which has resulted in questions regarding the vetting of Afghan nationals resettled in the US after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. 

Questions raised about Rahmanullah Lakanwal's alleged CIA background

Officials say that Lakanwal was en route from Washington State to Washington, DC, just before the incident, but they haven't disclosed a motive yet.

While detectives are trying to put together his history, the new publications are questioning not only his alleged combat background but also the mechanisms that enabled him to come to the United ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌States.

Multiple​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ media outlets like the New York Post and Washington Post have reported that Lakanwal was the face of a CIA-backed “Zero Unit” for years, a spetsnaz Afghan force, which was the closest unit intelligence and US troops were in the war. 

According to a friend and a relative, he joined the force as a young boy around 2012 and later on became the leader of the team and a GPS specialist.

Friends’ reports also say that he looked increasingly troubled in the last years of his life and that he had a struggle with drinking and a short, difficult marriage during this period of time as ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌well.

 “When he saw blood, bodies, and the wounded, he could not tolerate it,” said a childhood friend of 29-year-old terror suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal lived a peaceful, simple life in Bellingham

Lakanwal had lived a quiet life in Bellingham with his wife and children in a modest apartment. Neighbors said he enjoyed gaming and often played Call of Duty.

Prosecutors stated that he traveled across the country in a Hyundai and opened fire on two National Guard members waiting near the White House, killing Sarah Beckstrom and leaving Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe critically wounded.

It is also said that his brother was a leader in the same ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌unit.