Abdul Rahman Lakanwal, the Afghan national accused of shooting two members of the US National Guard near the White House, had struggled for years with psychological collapse, unemployment and prolonged isolation.
The Associated Press, citing internal emails it obtained, reported that Lakanwal, who arrived in the United States in 2021 with his wife and five young children under the “Operation Allies Welcome” programme, is now charged with first-degree murder.
A community advocate familiar with Lakanwal had emailed the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a nonprofit that supports refugees, repeatedly last year, warning that Lakanwal appeared to be in severe mental distress. The advocate, who had observed increasingly erratic and confused behaviour, expressed concern that Lakanwal might be at risk of suicide and requested assistance for him.
The advocate told AP he had seen no indication that Lakanwal posed a threat to others.
According to an email from January 2024, “Rahmanullah has not been functional as a person, father and provider since March of last year, 03/2023. He quit his job that month, and his behaviour has changed greatly.”
The emails described Lakanwal spending weeks in a darkened room without speaking to anyone, including his wife and older children. At one point in 2023, the family faced eviction after going months without paying rent.
Another email said family members often sent the youngest sons to deliver messages or phones to Lakanwal’s room because he would not respond to anyone else. When his wife travelled for a week to visit relatives, the children reportedly went without bathing, clean clothes or proper meals, prompting concerns from their school.
The correspondence also noted that Lakanwal would at times leave home and drive long distances without stopping.
Last week, Washington Judge Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal had driven across the country without pause to reach the US capital and carry out the attack.
