Investigators Consider Taliban Blackmail in National Guard Shooting, One Soldier Dead

Washington, D.C. – Investigators are actively exploring the possibility that Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., last week, may have been blackmailed by the Taliban. The incident, which occurred near the White House, resulted in the death of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and left Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, in serious condition. The Post Millennial reported on this developing line of inquiry, which suggests threats against Lakanwal's family in Afghanistan could have coerced him.

Intelligence sources indicate that the blackmail theory is a significant, though not exclusive, focus of the ongoing investigation. An intelligence official told The Daily Beast, "People in this country have no idea about the level of stress these people are under. Most of them have families back home, and if the Taliban cannot get to them, they are making it very clear that they will go after their families." This context highlights the potential vulnerability of Afghan individuals who previously assisted U.S. forces.

Lakanwal, 29, was a former member of a CIA-backed "Zero Unit" in Afghanistan, an elite counterterrorism force. He entered the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a program designed to resettle Afghans who aided American troops. Reports suggest Lakanwal, who had been living in Bellingham, Washington, struggled with mental health issues and difficulties assimilating into life in the U.S.

Prosecutors have charged Lakanwal with first-degree murder, to which he pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance from a hospital bed. The shooting prompted a swift response, with President Donald Trump pledging to "permanently pause migration" from certain countries and ordering an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., where approximately 2,000 were already deployed. The investigation continues to piece together the full motive behind the attack.