The Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guardsmen in a possible terror attack near the White House Wednesday was living in the US illegally after overstaying his visa, sources told The Post.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, arrived in the US through Operation Allies Welcome, the botched 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal plan that allowed roughly 90,000 Afghans to obtain Special Immigration Visas under the Biden Administration, sources said.
But Lakanwal, who resettled in Bellingham, Washington, reportedly overstayed his visa, which expired in September, FOX News correspondent Bill Melugin reported, citing federal law enforcement sources.
He reportedly entered the US on Sept. 8, 2021, through the refugee program, which provided foreign nationals immigration processing and resettlement support following the chaotic withdrawal.
Evacuees, including Afghan allies, their families and other vulnerable groups, were either placed with relatives or temporarily sheltered in military “Safe Havens” until they were resettled.
Bellingham, where the suspect lived, was among the Washington cities targeted for Afghan refugees under Operation Allies Welcome, with some 800 resettled in 2022, according to the Immigrant & Refugee Health Alliance.
Others were placed in Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima, and Spokane.
It is unclear how long the visas were valid.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
On Wednesday, Lakanwal was lying in wait before he rounded the corner near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest DC around 2:15 p.m., then allegedly opened fire, striking a female guard in the chest before shooting her in the head, law enforcement sources told The Post.
The crazed gunman then allegedly fired at and struck the second guard — until a third guard stationed nearby rushed to the area and took him down, the sources said.
The two armed soldiers, who were patrolling the streets when the suspect launched his vicious rampage, were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, authorities said.
The suspect, who acted alone and was reportedly shot four times, was hauled away nearly naked in an ambulance.
While officials have described the incident as a “targeted shooting” and “ambush,” police have not revealed a motive for the attack.
