Afghan suspect in National Guard attack was 'radicalized' after arriving to US, Noem says

Authorities judge the Afghan migrant accused of attacking National Guard members successful Washington, D.C., past week was radicalized aft arriving successful the U.S., Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said connected Sunday.

Law enforcement officials identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, arsenic the fishy successful the Wednesday shooting that occurred conscionable blocks from the White House, sidesplitting 1 National Guard subordinate and critically injuring another.

"We judge helium was radicalized since he’s been present successful this country," Noem told NBC News. "We bash judge it was done connections successful his location assemblage and state, and we're going to proceed to speech to those who interacted with him, who were his household members."

She added that U.S. officials person received "some participation" from individuals who knew Lakanwal.

ALLEGED DC SHOOTER ENTERED US UNDER AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT PUSH MAYORKAS VOWED WOULD BE DONE ‘SWIFTLY AND SAFELY'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks successful Quito, Ecuador, successful July 2025. (Alex Brandon)

Lakanwal entered the U.S. legally successful 2021 nether the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, a programme that evacuated and resettled Afghan refugees arsenic the Taliban took power of Afghanistan.

Noem said that though asylum was formally granted to Lakanwal during the Trump medication successful April, the vetting process each happened nether the Biden administration, criticizing what she described arsenic inadequate screening of Afghans and different overseas nationals during erstwhile President Joe Biden’s term. 

VANCE’S PAST WARNINGS REIGNITE AFTER AFGHAN NATIONAL NAMED AS SUSPECT IN DC GUARD SHOOTING 

Undated record photograph of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the fishy successful the shooting of 2 National Guard soldiers successful Washington, D.C., connected Nov. 26, 2025. (Provided by Department of Justice)

"When this abandonment of Afghanistan happened, the Biden medication enactment radical connected airplanes [and] brought them to the United States without vetting them," Noem said. "They brought them into our state and past said they would vet them afterward."

"All of that vetting accusation was collected by Joe Biden’s administration," she added. "Joe Biden wholly did not vet immoderate of these individuals."

According to Noem, President Donald Trump has since implemented measures to fortify vetting for incoming immigrants, including reviewing societal media enactment and checking connected who they interact with.

Afghan refugees, fleeing the Afghan superior Kabul, exit a U.S. aerial unit level connected Aug. 29, 2021. (Armend Nimani/AFP)

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After the devastating onslaught connected Thanksgiving eve, Trump besides announced that his medication volition enforce further restrictions connected migrants seeking to participate the United States, including a halt connected each migration from what helium described arsenic "Third World Countries."

"The President is perfectly determined to halt each processes astatine this constituent successful clip from third-world countries until we tin person a thorough accidental to spell done these individuals," Noem said connected Sunday.