Name: National Guard shooting suspect radicalized in U.S., DHS chief says
Uploaded: 2025-12-01T01:38:57.933Z
Duration: 1 min 31 s
Description: U.S. authorities believe the Afghan immigrant accused of ambushing National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was not radicalized until after he came to the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday.

U.S. authorities believe the Afghan immigrant accused of ambushing National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was not radicalized until after he came to the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday.

Washington

U.S. investigators believe Rahmanullah Laqanwal, an Afghan immigrant accused of ambushing National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was radicalized after arriving in the United States. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that authorities are seeking to interview those who interacted with Laqanwal, including family members, to better understand his radicalization.

Laqanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021 during the Biden administration's evacuation of Afghans, was granted asylum in April by the Trump administration. The attack resulted in the death of Sarah Backstrom and critical injury to Andrew Wolfe, leading to memorials in West Virginia and renewed debate over asylum policies, with officials considering stricter measures.

National Guard shooting suspect radicalized in U.S., DHS chief says

U.S. investigators now believe the Afghan immigrant accused of ambushing National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was not radicalized until after he came to the United States. That's according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who spoke to television news programs on Sunday. Authorities accused 29-year-old Rahmanullah Laqanwal of shooting two members of the National Guard just blocks from the White House last week. The attack killed Sarah Backstrom and critically wounded her fellow guardsman, Andrew Wolfe. Noem told NBC News investigators believed Laqanwal was radicalized after settling in Washington state and said they wanted to talk to those who interacted with him, including his family members. Laqanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of the Biden administration's mass evacuation of Afghans who aided U.S. forces. A government file reviewed by Reuters showed Laqanwal was granted asylum in April by Trump's administration. At Webster County High School, Sarah was the kind of student teachers hoped for. At a memorial service in West Virginia on Saturday, people in the tight-knit communities of Webster County and Somerville County gathered to honor Backstrom and bid her farewell. Greg Berlson is the principal of Somerton High School. She chose a path of honor and responsibility, and she did it with humility and grace. After Wednesday's attack, the Trump administration took steps to clamp down on some legal immigration, including a freeze on processing all asylum applications. Noem said on Sunday that immigration officials would consider deporting people with active asylum cases if it was warranted.

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