On November 27, 2025, a tragic shooting near the White House cast a harsh spotlight on the enduring legacy of the Afghanistan War and the ongoing debate over U.S. immigration policy for wartime allies. President Donald Trump, speaking from West Palm Beach, Florida, revealed during a Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old member of the West Virginia National Guard, had died after being shot by an Afghan national. Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was reported to be "fighting for his life."
"She’s just passed away," Trump announced somberly. "She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her." The president described Beckstrom as "an incredible person, outstanding in every single way," and the White House confirmed that he spoke to her parents after his remarks.
The shooting, which occurred just blocks from the White House, quickly became a flashpoint in a broader debate about national security, immigration, and the aftermath of America’s longest war. The suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, had previously worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating to the United States. According to The Associated Press, Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration initiative that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Details from law enforcement and officials paint a grim picture of the attack. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, described it as an "ambush-style" assault carried out with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of the morning after the shooting, Lakanwal faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro indicated that charges would be upgraded following Beckstrom’s death. Lakanwal himself was shot during the incident but was expected to survive, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
President Trump did not mince words in his reaction, calling the suspect a "savage monster" and labeling the shooting a "terrorist attack." He used the occasion to sharply criticize the Biden administration’s handling of Afghan evacuees, particularly those who had worked with U.S. forces during the two-decade war. Trump brandished a print-out of a now-iconic photo showing Afghan evacuees packed onto a military plane during the chaotic Kabul airlift in 2021 and asserted, "He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts. It happens too often with these people."
Trump also blamed what he described as an ineffective vetting process for the arrival of Afghans who had supported U.S. operations. "We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country," he stated. "For the most part, we don’t want them." Later that night, Trump called for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.
The shooting has amplified scrutiny of Operation Allies Welcome, which brought approximately 76,000 Afghans to the United States, many of whom had served as interpreters, translators, or in other support roles alongside American troops and diplomats. Advocates for Afghan refugees argue that the program’s vetting was rigorous and that it provided a vital lifeline to individuals at risk of Taliban reprisals. Nonetheless, critics—Trump foremost among them—have questioned whether the vetting was sufficient to prevent incidents like the D.C. shooting.
According to #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S., Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was ultimately approved under Trump’s presidency. Lakanwal had been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, as confirmed by his former landlord Kristina Widman.
Further background on Lakanwal reveals a complex and at times troubling history. He hailed from the eastern Afghan province of Khost and worked in the so-called Zero Units—CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary groups that played a critical role in combat operations against the Taliban, particularly in the southern province of Kandahar. These units, manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA, were involved in both frontline fighting and, according to some activists, alleged abuses. Lakanwal started as a security guard in 2012 and was eventually promoted to team leader and GPS specialist, according to family members and former colleagues who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Following the U.S. withdrawal, Zero Units provided security at Kabul International Airport during the frantic evacuation of American personnel and Afghan allies. CIA Director John Ratcliffe noted that Lakanwal’s relationship with the U.S. government "ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation" of U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan.
The presence of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., has itself been a politically charged issue. Nearly 2,200 troops were assigned to the city as of late 2025, with another 500 dispatched in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. The Guard has been tasked with a range of duties, from patrolling neighborhoods and train stations to manning highway checkpoints and even picking up trash or guarding sporting events. Trump’s earlier emergency order in August federalized the D.C. police force and brought in National Guard troops to address what officials described as an "out-of-control crime problem," though that order expired after a month.
The shooting has reignited fierce debate over America’s obligations to its wartime allies and the risks associated with resettlement programs. Supporters of Operation Allies Welcome and similar initiatives point to the extensive vetting and the moral responsibility the U.S. has to those who risked their lives for American forces. Critics, however, argue that even a single security lapse can have devastating consequences, as illustrated by the events near the White House.
In response to the shooting, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, announced that the agency would implement additional screening for people from 19 "high-risk" countries "to the maximum degree possible." Edlow did not specify which countries were included, but noted that earlier in the year, the administration had banned travel from 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.
As the investigation continues and Beckstrom’s family mourns their loss, the nation faces difficult questions about the costs of war, the challenges of resettlement, and the balance between compassion and security. The tragedy has left a lasting mark on both the National Guard and the broader debate over America’s role as a refuge for those who have stood by its side in conflict.
For now, the shooting near the White House serves as a stark reminder of the complex, often painful consequences of foreign policy decisions made years—or even decades—before.
