Former Afghan fighter accused in DC shooting may have been blackmailed by Taliban: report
WASHINGTON, DC: New details have emerged about the Afghan veteran accused of shooting two National Guard members. According to The Swamp, United States intelligence officials are now investigating claims that a Taliban hit squad threatened to kill Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s family in Afghanistan.
The allegation suggests they pressured him to open fire on American troops in the capital. Lakanwal, a former Afghan fighter, now faces first-degree m*****r charges after allegedly shooting two soldiers from West Virginia.
Taliban threats may have pushed DC shooting suspect into attack
Investigators are trying to understand why a man who passed vetting under two different administrations would carry out such an attack. He had no criminal history and no record of extremism.
Yet he still drove across the entire country in what appears to be a suicide mission. He arrived armed with only a revolver and targeted heavily armed United States military personnel.
Sources say Rahmanullah Lakanwal may have been pressured into the attack after threats that his loved ones in Afghanistan would be beaten, killed, or even be***ded if he refused. “It is by no means our only line of inquiry,” one intelligence source told the outlet.
The source, who has worked closely with authorities assisting Afghans targeted for helping the West, added, “People in this country have no idea about the level of stress these people are under.”
Officials said at a press conference that Lakanwal drove from his home in Bellingham, Washington, all the way to Washington, DC, before opening fire on troops with a .357 revolver.
This new angle has introduced a major twist in the investigation, though nothing has been confirmed yet.
Lakanwal, a father of five, previously served in an elite paramilitary unit that fought the Taliban during the war in Afghanistan. The group was often referred to as a “d**th squad” because of its reputation. His exact position in the unit is unclear, but the task force was known for night raids, covert missions, and was suspected of carrying out executions.
Trump calls DC shooting suspect a ‘monster’
Donald Trump and several MAGA figures have called the accused a “monster,” saying the deadly attack in the nation’s capital could even lead to a d**th penalty case.
According to the Daily Mail, Rahmanullah Lakanwal was already under financial stress and feared the Trump administration might block his Green Card application, which could force him to return to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the two National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were both critically injured and underwent surgery. Trump later announced that Beckstrom had died from her injuries, while Wolfe remains hospitalized.
