Afghan National Guard Shooter Reportedly Entered U.S. Under Biden-Era Evacuation Program — Raises New Questions About Vetting Failures

The alleged gunman who ambushed two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., this week reportedly arrived in the United States through the Biden administration’s disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal — a program critics warned from day one lacked basic national-security screening.

According to new reporting from Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, the suspect — 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal — entered the country on Sept. 8, 2021, through Operation Allies Welcome. That program was rapidly deployed by the Biden White House during the final weeks of the Afghanistan pullout, despite internal warnings that thousands of evacuees were not undergoing full vetting.

NBC News confirmed Wednesday that the FBI is investigating the attack as a potential act of terrorism. The two West Virginia National Guard members remain hospitalized in critical condition.

Lakanwal — whose last known U.S. residence was in Bellingham, Washington — was also shot during the exchange of gunfire and is currently being treated. His condition has not been released.

The attack unfolded while the Guard troops were performing “high visibility patrols” near 17th and High Streets in Washington, D.C. According to Executive Assistant Police Chief Jeffery Carroll, “The suspect came around the corner, he immediately started firing a firearm at the two National Guard members.”

In his report, Melugin revealed that “multiple federal law enforcement sources” informed him that Lakanwal was “an Afghan national who entered the U.S. on 9/8/2021 as part of the Biden admin’s Operation Allies Welcome in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

Melugin further stated, “I’m told his permission to be in the U.S. expired in September of this year, and he is now in the country illegally.”

The revelations revive long-standing warnings that the Biden administration’s emergency evacuation left the U.S. exposed to potential security threats. Just months after the withdrawal, a February 2022 report from the Pentagon inspector general revealed that officials had identified at least 50 “potentially significant security concerns” among evacuees — including individuals linked to terrorism.

The IG report noted:
“Significant security concerns include individuals whose latent fingerprints have been found on improvised explosive devices and known or suspected terrorists.”
It added that 28 could not be located, warning that “Not being able to locate Afghan evacuees with derogatory information quickly and accurately could pose a security risk to the United States.”

The report also cautioned that “the U.S. Government could mistakenly grant ineligible Afghan evacuees with derogatory information” immigration parole.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Lakanwal was among those flagged for prior security concerns. But the alleged ambush — targeting Americans in uniform on domestic soil — is already fueling urgent questions about how many unknown threats remain inside the country due to President Biden’s botched withdrawal.

Meanwhile, President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly emphasized since taking office for his second term that restoring strict immigration enforcement and national-security screening — especially for refugees from conflict zones — is a non-negotiable priority.