The brutal, ambush-style shooting near the White House that left 20-year-old National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom dead and another Guardsman critically wounded was an attack on the country we love and the servicemembers who protect it. Americans are owed clarity and accountability after this atrocity, and grieving families deserve nothing less than the full force of justice.
Authorities say the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States in 2021 through the Operation Allies Welcome evacuation program and later applied for and received asylum, according to official statements and reporting. This is not a partisan footnote — it is the context in which this attack occurred and it demands a hard look at how these programs were run.
Reporters and prosecutors describe an ambush in which the attacker traveled across states, opened fire, and shouted Islamist exclamations during the assault, underscoring troubling questions about intent and the level of oversight after entry. The quick mobilization of federal prosecutors to upgrade charges to murder confirms the gravity of the crime and the national security implications.
President Trump’s response — ordering additional National Guard troops to the capital and calling for a pause on migration from certain poorer countries — is the kind of decisive action America needs when our own soldiers are targeted on U.S. soil. Arming Guard members deployed in Washington and pausing intake of potentially risky entrants is common-sense in a crisis; weak leadership would have done nothing.
Let’s be blunt: the Biden administration’s post-withdrawal resettlement policies exposed the country to risk by rushing tens of thousands of evacuees into the United States under emergency parole and resettlement schemes with limited vetting. Patriots who love both our veterans and our neighbors can insist on both compassion and security — we can welcome the truly deserving while refusing to sacrifice Americans’ safety.
Some refugee advocates warn against blaming entire communities for one man’s crime, and while we reject collective punishment, we refuse to be naive. Policy must change: freeze and review admissions, tighten vetting, prioritize deportation of violent offenders, and put American lives first rather than reflexively defending failed programs.
We should mourn Sarah Beckstrom, rally behind the wounded, and stand with every National Guard family whose loved ones stand in harm’s way so the rest of us can live in peace. This moment must harden our resolve: secure the border, fix our broken asylum system, and never allow ideology or political convenience to trump the safety of American citizens.
