(NewsNation) — Federal investigators are still searching for a motive in the National Guard shooting in which a gunman killed one Guard member and left another fighting for his life.
Officials are reportedly looking into whether the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The 29-year-old Afghan native worked with the United States CIA in Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism and the Taliban. His unit was tasked with combat missions, searching and sometimes killing suspected terrorists. Human rights groups have called these units “death squads,” citing alleged brutality and secrecy.
Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. after the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. More than 70,000 Afghan refugees arrived under “Operation Allies Welcome,” many fearing retaliation from the Taliban.
Lakanwal applied for asylum last year and was granted it in April of this year under the Trump administration. He had been living in Washington state with his wife and five children, reportedly struggling to pay rent and afford food in the months leading up to the attack.
24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in the hospital in critical condition today. 20-year-old Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thanksgiving.
Supporters have held vigils across her home state of West Virginia to honor her life. Her best friend spoke at one in Summersville, West Virginia, Saturday night, saying Beckstrom was nervous about deploying to D.C. She said the two of them would speak every night.
“Sarah will be in my heart and in my memories forever, reminding me of kindness, joy and laughter. She was and is the embodiment of joyfulness and giving,” best friend Erica Holstein said. “There is so much I could say about her. But for now, I just want to remember her for the pure, genuine person that she is.”
Beckstrom and Wolfe had been stationed in D.C. since August, as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting mission. Trump has said he would order more than 500 National Guard troops to go to D.C. following the shooting.
Lakanwal faces a first-degree murder charge.