National Guard Shooting Suspect Spent Weeks Alone in Room, Case Worker's Message Said.

The man accused of firing upon two military personnel in Washington DC last week had according to accounts passed extended periods alone in a dark room and suffered from "periods of mania," as per comments written in 2024 by a support worker that helped the individual's family.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal is charged with perpetrating an "surprise attack" that killed Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and seriously injured Andrew Wolf, 24.

Authorities stated the man in his late twenties entered the US in 2021 under a initiative for individuals from Afghanistan who had assisted American troops in Afghanistan.

Revealed Details on Psychological State

Based on emails from last year, Mr. Lakanwal struggled with his psychological well-being.

In a different email dated on January 31st of last year, the case worker noted Mr. Lakanwal "spends the majority of his days for consecutive weeks in his blacked-out bedroom, not speaking to a soul, not even his spouse and children."

The individual, who was not a mental health professional, also said Mr. Lakanwal had "hyperactive periods for one or two weeks at a time where he would drive away in the family car." They also described he had periods in which he would try to "make amends."

History and Recent Events

Mr. Lakanwal, an Afghan national, entered the US via the recent resettlement program. This was during the period after the disorderly US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

He applied for refugee status in 2024, and his request was approved earlier this year.

He resided with his wife and five children in Bellingham, Washington.

"World Relief volunteers are attempting to assist for that family - but I think the father has psychological problems that are untreated, and he refuses to speak with anybody," one part of an previous email reads.

Last week, a longtime acquaintance told a newspaper that Mr. Lakanwal had experienced psychological challenges after his service with his team in Afghanistan.

Mr. Lakanwal had reportedly been a member of a "Zero Unit" - an Afghan intelligence and militia that collaborated with a US intelligence agency.

Government Response and Legal Proceedings

In the aftermath of the attack in Washington DC, the administration vowed to "permanently pause immigration" from certain countries.

The government has halted all refugee claims "to guarantee that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible," a director stated.

Mr. Lakanwal, who was injured in the event and remains in hospital, faces murder charges.