The suspected shooter of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday is a native of Afghanistan who previously worked in the United States for multiple government agencies, one of which was the Central Intelligence Agency.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspected shooter, entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of the initiative of the Joe Biden presidential administration known as “Operation Allies Welcome.” Fox News reported that he was a member of a partner force in Kandahar, Afghanistan and worked for U.S. government agencies, one of which was the CIA.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Lakanwal’s previous association with the CIA and other U.S. government agencies in an interview with Fox News.
“In the wake of the disastrous Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation,” said Ratcliffe.
”The individual — and so many others — should have never been allowed to come here,” added Ratcliffe. “Our citizens and service members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s catastrophic failures.”
As the Washington Examiner previously reported, Lakanwal is accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members near the Farragut West Metro station, located in close proximity to the White House. Both victims were reportedly in critical condition and being treated at nearby hospitals.
President Donald Trump posted about the shooting on his Truth Social account on Wednesday afternoon.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” said Trump. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
TWO NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS CRITICALLY INJURED IN SHOOTING NEAR WHITE HOUSE
Previously, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey announced that both victims had died as a result of their injuries from the shooting. However, he later issued a retraction and clarification, saying that he had received “conflicting reports.”
As of Thursday morning, there were conflicting reports about their survival.