D.C. National Guard shooting suspect spent “weeks on end” in isolation, struggled with mental health, 2024 emails say

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 -Newly-revealed 2024 emails show that Rahmanullah Lakanwal — the suspect accused in the deadly shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. — had been deeply withdrawn and struggling psychologically long before the attack. 

According to a case worker helping his family, Lakanwal often spent “weeks on end” locked in a darkened room, refusing to speak even to his own wife and children.

The emails, sent to a refugee aid nonprofit in early 2024, indicated that Lakanwal had not worked for over a year, the family had received an eviction notice, and he had been unable to function as a father or provider since March 2023. 

The messages also described periods of sudden “manic episodes,” where he would disappear for days in the family car, followed by temporary attempts to “make amends.”

Lakanwal, a former member of a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan, had entered the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome in 2021. Despite the troubling warnings and deteriorating mental health documented in the emails, there is no evidence that U.S. immigration or resettlement officials acted on the concerns. 

Now, as he faces serious criminal charges, questions are mounting about whether these red flags were overlooked — and whether better mental-health support could have prevented this tragedy.