Afghans in the United States have denounced Wednesday’s “deeply tragic” Washington DC shooting, saying the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, “does not represent” their community and insisting the attack was an isolated act. The suspect—who arrived under a special programme for Afghans who assisted US forces—allegedly killed National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, with another guardsman critically injured.
In response, President Donald Trump halted Afghan immigration processing, ordered a review of green cards from 19 countries, and threatened wider restrictions on migrants from what he calls “third-world countries”. Afghan groups expressed sympathy for the victims while urging US authorities not to punish innocent applicants, saying, “Twenty years of Afghan-US partnership must not be forgotten.”