Report: Taliban may have extorted Rahmanullah Lakanwal before National Guard shooting.

The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., may have been coerced by the Taliban, according to a line of investigation reportedly being followed by intelligence officials.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been charged with first degree murder after allegedly firing at West Virginia service members near the White House on November 26, resulting in the death of 20 year old Army specialist Sarah Beckstrom and leaving Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically injured.

An intelligence source cited by The Daily Beast indicated that investigators are examining whether Taliban operatives threatened Lakanwal by targeting his relatives in Afghanistan if he refused to act. The source noted that this is only one of several possible motives under review and emphasized the extreme pressure many Afghan nationals face.

The report also referenced a Taliban unit called Yarmouk 60, which is said to track down Afghans who cooperated with the United States during its military presence in the country. One source described a case in which a member of a UK supported Afghan unit escaped to Germany believing his family would later join him, only for Yarmouk 60 fighters to allegedly kill his wife, father, and four children.

Lakanwal, a married father of five who previously worked with US Special Forces as a GPS technician, had reportedly been anxious about financial instability and the possibility of being returned to Afghanistan.

The incident has generated political controversy, with public figures including former President Donald Trump labeling Lakanwal a threat and suggesting the case could warrant capital punishment. The White House has faced criticism and debate over the immigration policies in place during both the Biden and Trump administrations that allowed Lakanwal to remain in the country.

Author: Benjamin Carter