Crime
National Guard Shooting Suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal Applied for Asylum in 2024, Approved Earlier This Year
Federal officials have confirmed the identity of the suspect involved in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, age 29.
According to four senior U.S. law enforcement officials briefed on the case, Lakanwal is an Afghan national who entered the United States on September 8, 2021, as part of the Operation Allies Welcome program following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
Records show that Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024, and his request was approved earlier this year.
Officials also report that his previous immigration parole authorization expired in September 2025, leaving his legal status under review.
Lakanwal reportedly relocated with his wife, Khamila, and their five children to Bellingham, Washington, after arriving in the United States.
Federal sources further state that he previously served in the Afghan Special Forces and fought alongside U.S. military personnel during the conflict with the Taliban.
The shooting occurred near the Farragut Metro Station, not far from the White House.
Law enforcement officials described the attack as intentional and ambush-style.
Approximately 10 to 15 shots were fired before law enforcement and the suspect exchanged gunfire.
Lakanwal was struck four times and taken into custody after being transported to a local hospital.
Early witness statements and preliminary audio from the scene suggest the suspect may have shouted in a foreign language prior to firing.
Officials emphasize that these reports remain unverified as analysis continues.
Conflicting reports have been released regarding the condition of the two National Guard members.
Early statements suggested both had died, while later updates indicate the service members remain in critical condition.
Some federal investigative sources have described their condition as grave or potentially medically non-recoverable, though no official medical determination has been released.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey expressed condolences, stating:
โDenise and I are devastated by the news that two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot earlier today in Washington, D.C. Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community.โ
District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb released a statement strongly condemning the attack:
โViolence is never the answer and must be condemned. The National Guard are volunteers who leave their families and daily lives to serve their country. This is a heartbreaking day for Washington, D.C., and for our nation.โ
The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Metropolitan Police Department are jointly leading the investigation.
Authorities say the motive remains under review, and the incident is being examined as a possible act of terrorism based on early indicators.
Officials report there is no current evidence of a broader coordinated threat or any connection to federal property or officials.
With ambush-style attacks against military and law enforcement personnel increasing nationally in 2025, this incident has raised renewed security concerns surrounding public deployment of National Guard units.
Authorities are urging the public to submit additional video footage, witness accounts, or relevant information to assist the investigation.
Further verified updates will be released as information is confirmed.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculationโdespite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle Eastโfocused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouchโs social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 โ the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays โ Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled โI Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,โ was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from โAncestors Song,โ a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouchโs participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the authorโs family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown Universityโs decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.