Suspect in shooting of 2 National Guard troops in DC shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as he fired on troops

The man accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard troops just blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday shouted “Allahu Akbar” while he was firing several rounds with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, according to a newly released criminal affidavit.

"Allahu Akbar" translates from Arabic to "God is greater," and is often used by perpetrators of terrorist acts to indicate that their action is jihad, or holy struggle, as they see it, and as a way to instill fear in non-believers.

The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 following the disastrous US military pullout. He had been part of and worked on one of the CIA’s “Zero Units.” Lakanwal was a former member of the National Strike Unit (NSU) forces, which were tied to the CIA and to the former Afghan government’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), Just the News previously reported.

He shot Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who died the next day, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who is still hospitalized in serious condition. 

According to a Justice Department press release, "Lakanwal drove from his hometown in the state of Washington to Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, November 26, Lakanwal arrived at about 2:13 p.m., at 17th and I Streets, NW, near Farragut West Metro Station, and opened fire on two National Guard members without provocation."