Washington, DC — The head of the Afghanistan‑US Relations Office in the United States has urged a thorough, independent investigation after a Thanksgiving Eve shooting near the White House that left a US National Guard member dead.
Saber Naseri said the Afghan community has not seen conclusive evidence linking the accused to an attack on an American. He visited the scene, questioned witnesses, and said he wants access to video footage to determine ‘whether Lakanwal committed this act or not.’ Authorities have identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29‑year‑old Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021; officials say he is believed to have acted alone.
The episode has stoked concern among Afghan migrants and activists, who warned against blaming an entire community for the actions of one person. Political analyst Wahed Faqiri emphasized that ‘one of the key principles of American law is that crimes are individual, not collective,’ and said Afghans are urging US authorities to avoid generalizing about the community.
In the wake of the shooting, US Citizenship and Immigration Services issued new guidance allowing officials to consider country‑specific factors from 19 countries when reviewing immigration requests. USCIS said it will weigh those factors when exercising discretionary authorities related to nationals from the listed ‘high‑risk’ countries, noting policy shifts that followed the halting of refugee resettlement from Afghanistan and restrictions on Afghan entry during the first year of the Trump administration.
The close‑range shooting in central Washington prompted a rapid response from federal authorities and statements from the administration. President Trump criticized former president Joe Biden’s immigration policies, said the suspect entered the United States from Afghanistan in 2021, and described Afghanistan as a ‘hellhole.’ Homeland Security information cited by officials noted the suspect’s Afghan nationality.
This report is based on syndicated material and was published as received; the publisher assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.
