Afghans living in the United States have voiced strong dismay over the shooting in Washington DC that claimed the life of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom. They described the event as a sorrowful moment for both nations and insisted that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, does not represent their community in any way.
Lakanwal, who is twenty nine, arrived in the United States through a special program created for Afghans who supported American forces during the final phase of the troop withdrawal in 2021. He is accused of killing Beckstrom, aged twenty, while her colleague Andrew Wolfe, aged twenty four, remains in critical condition.
The tragedy has prompted President Donald Trump to suspend the processing of Afghan immigration applications and order a broad review of green cards issued to people from nineteen countries. He also signaled the possibility of tighter rules for migrants from what he called third world regions.
The Afghan Community Coalition of the United States offered condolences to the families of the victims and appealed to the administration to avoid any action that would halt opportunities for Afghans seeking safety. The group reminded the public of two decades of cooperation between Afghans and American forces that began in 2001 during the effort to remove the Taliban and restore security.
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Several Afghans in America said they were unsettled by the event and warned against judging an entire population by the conduct of one man. Some of them chose not to reveal their names, explaining that they still fear retribution from the Taliban, which returned to power after the American withdrawal.
One Afghan evacuee described the shooting as deeply painful, especially coming just before Thanksgiving and at a tense political moment in the capital. He stressed that the crime was the decision of one individual and not a reflection of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who now live, work, and pay taxes in the United States. He added that many remain grateful for the rescue effort at Kabul airport in 2021.
During that period, thousands of Afghans fled the country as the government collapsed and the Taliban advanced. American officials confirmed that Lakanwal had worked with US forces at Kabul airport in a protective role. He arrived in the United States the same year and later applied for asylum, which was approved earlier this year.
