BELLINGHAM, Washington — The Afghan terrorist accused of shooting two National Guard troops had been living a seemingly quiet family life in a $2,000-a-month apartment in this idyllic Washington state town – where neighbors said the FBI busted into his home during a Wednesday raid.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was often seen playing Call of Duty and FIFA inside the bare apartment, which he shared with his hijab-wearing wife and his five kids, stunned neighbors in Bellingham told The Post on Thursday.
Neighbors said the refugees — who arrived in 2021 after the chaotic US pullout from Afghanistan — had no beds, and there were only “some couch cushions they would sleep on” inside the sparse apartment.
They “never made a peep,” one neighbor said, adding that Lakanwal didn’t speak much English and his oldest child is 14.
“Bellingham is very liberal,” the neighbor said, noting the area, which housed Afghan evacuees following the botched withdrawal, was “Very welcoming. Very diverse. Very open.”
Lakanwal, who fought in Afghanistan and came into the US under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program, allegedly opened fire and struck two National Guard troops just blocks away from the White House around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, who had been patrolling at the time, were critically wounded in the attack.
A third guardsman rushed to the scene and took Lakanwal down. Lakanwal was also left with gunshot wounds in the melee.
Beckstrom’s father told the New York Times she has a “mortal wound,” after being shot in the head and chest with the .357 Magnum-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver.
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Following the ambush-style attack, Lakanwal’s neighbor said federal agents kicked down the accused gunman’s mustard-colored front door about 16 hours later.
“I heard loud banging on the door and guys yelling ‘FBI,’” the local recalled.
“They took everybody out of the apartment but I don’t think the kids were there. It’s pretty shocking. Every sign in the world is pointing [to Lakanwal being the shooter] but there are some things that just aren’t adding up,” the neighbor added.
“One thing that stuck out to us was that law enforcement didn’t show up until 16, 17 hours after it happened. It’s hard to [know why he did it] because you don’t know his mindset. You know if he just snapped.”
A motive for the shooting is still unclear.
Officials have described it as a “targeted attack” and claimed that Lakanwal drove cross-country from Washington state to carry out the shooting rampage.
Lakanwal, whom the CIA confirmed worked with one of its elite counterterrorism “Unit Zero” in Afghanistan, is facing at least three counts of assault with intent to kill and criminal possession of a weapon.
He faces up to 15 years behind bars, but federal prosecutors said Thursday they will pursue the death penalty if either of his victims die.
“I will tell you early, we will do everything in our power to seek the death penalty against that monster who should not have been in our country,” Homeland Security Secretary Pam Bondi told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”
