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Intelligence Officials: He Was Brought Here Because of Work With U.S. Agencies
Former CIA Director John Ratcliffe tore into the Biden administration’s decision-making, stating that Lakanwal was allowed into the country specifically because of his CIA-linked work in Afghanistan.
Ratcliffe didn’t mince words:
“The individual—and so many others—should have never been allowed to come here. Our citizens and service members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s catastrophic failures.”
Two National Guard Soldiers Fighting for Life
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro confirmed Thursday that the wounded Guardsmen—20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe—underwent emergency surgery but remain in critical condition. Disturbingly, she noted that both soldiers had been sworn into service less than a day before the attack.
Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel both stated that any charges against Lakanwal may escalate depending on whether the victims survive.
Officials Say the Soldiers Were Targeted on Purpose
The FBI is now treating the shooting as a possible act of terrorism. According to officials, the attacker waited around a corner before ambushing the newly sworn-in soldiers with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. Authorities confirmed that the victims were specifically targeted.
In a stunning act of bravery, another nearby National Guardsman—armed only with a pocket knife—charged the suspect as he attempted to reload. The soldier repeatedly stabbed the gunman, stopping the attack as additional Guardsmen and D.C. police arrived.
FBI Director Patel Slams Biden’s Vetting Practices
Director Patel used a morning press briefing to lay blame directly at the feet of the Biden administration, calling the resettlement process reckless and utterly devoid of meaningful security checks.
His assessment was blunt:
“This individual is in this country for one reason and one reason alone, because of the disastrous withdrawal from the Biden administration and the failure to vet in any way, in any way, shape or form this individual and countless others…”
Patel continued,
“You miss all the signs when you do absolutely zero vetting. And that’s exactly what happened in this case…”
President Trump Responds With Force
President Donald Trump delivered an urgent address Wednesday night, announcing that an additional 500 National Guard troops would be deployed to Washington, D.C., in the wake of the attack.
Trump said:
“It was a crime against humanity. The hearts of all Americans tonight are with those two members of the West Virginia National Guard and their families…”
The president added a fiery message directed at the suspect:
“As President of the United States, I am determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price.”
He ended with a startling confirmation:
“…the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on Earth.”
