A suspect shooter who killed two National Guard members near White House in Washington DC on Wednesday, November, was working with e-commerce giant Amazon and Amazon Flex, according to an NBC report. Lakanwal is an Afghanistan national from Khost province and was living in Bellingham, Washington.
According to reports, the suspect Lakanwal has served in the Afghan military and worked alongside US troops, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Afghanistan. Sources told Fox News Digital that Lakanwal had a prior relationship with various officials in the US government, including the CIA, due to his work as a member of a partner force in Kandahar.
Also Read | "Effective immediately": US halts Afghan immigration processing after DC National Guard shooting.
29-year-old Lakanwal opened fire at around 2.15 pm on Wednesday from a short distance, killing two National Guard members who were on patrol. The suspect was also received bullet wounds and arrested. He was later transported to the hospital. As per the relative of Lakanwal, he arrived in the US in September 2021 after having served in the Afghan Army for over 10 years alongside US Special Forces. He was stationed at a base in Kandahar during his army employment.
Lakanwal survived by his wife and five children, a relative of the suspect told NBC News, saying he did not speak to Lakanwal for several months. The last time they spoke was when he was working for Amazon and Amazon Flex.
On shooting near White House on the members of the National Guard, US President Donald Trump said he is “determined” that the shooter “pays the steepest possible price.” Trump said that the suspect was flown into the US by the Biden administration in September 2021 and that his status was extended under Biden-era legislation.
Trump then called for the re-examination of all those who entered the United States from Afghanistan during the Biden administration. The suspect has been identified as an Afghan national who used a handgun, according to two senior US law enforcement officials.