The DC Ambush: What We Know, What Doesn’t Add Up, and What Comes Next

Mission Access Report

The ambush near the White House that killed SPC Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded SSgt. Andrew Wolfe is not an isolated criminal incident.

The timeline, the attacker’s background, and the immediate shifts in federal policy point to something much deeper.

This report lays out the confirmed facts, the anomalies, and the implications for homeland security and civilian preparedness.

Who the Attacker Really Was

The shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 during the rushed evacuation under Operation Allies Welcome.

Confirmed background:

• Served for roughly ten years in Afghan National Directorate of Security units

• Trained and supported directly by the CIA at Eagle Base near Kabul

• Conducted counterterrorism raids as part of NDS and the Kandahar Strike Force

• Worked alongside U.S. Special Forces in Kandahar and other provinces

• Lived in Washington state with a wife and five children

• Supported by an American sponsor family that placed him in a multimillion-dollar home upon arrival

NBC News confirmed he served with U.S. troops and entered the U.S. after the Taliban takeover.

His ID and service record appear to be legitimate.

This places him within one of the most sensitive CIA partner force pipelines used in Afghanistan.

The Attack Itself

The attack happened around 2:15 PM EST near Farragut Square.

Witnesses reported the attacker shouted Allahu Akbar before firing on two unarmed National Guard members.

One Guardsman is dead. One remains in critical condition after multiple surgeries.

ISIS aligned channels quickly praised the incident. Their interest is unsurprising because Lakanwal’s half-brother was an ISIS Khorasan recruiter before being killed in a 2022 strike.

This does not prove outside direction, but it does show ideological proximity and exploitation.

The Human Cost

SPC Sarah Beckstrom, from Webster Springs, West Virginia, joined the National Guard’s MP unit, hoping to pursue a future career with the FBI. Her father told reporters, “My baby girl passed to glory,” a line now echoed across veteran and family communities.

SSgt. Andrew Wolfe, from Martinsburg, West Virginia, is an Air Force staff sergeant with more than six years of service. He remains in critical condition after multiple surgeries.

Acts of Heroism

During the chaos of the ambush, another Guardsman engaged the attacker with nothing but a pocket knife, tackling him while wounded and helping subdue him.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro noted that he “fought like hell to save his brothers.” His actions prevented further casualties and ended the attack within seconds.

The Refugee Placement Pattern That Raises Questions

Public records show:

• Lakanwal and his family were placed in a subsidized housing complex with long waitlists for American citizens

• Prior to that, they lived in a 2.7 million dollar home owned by a sponsor family

• He worked as a delivery driver, earning about twenty-five dollars per hour

• Even with subsidies, the financial gap does not add up

Many Afghan arrivals received temporary assistance. This level of sustained support is not typical. Who funded him and why remains unclear.

The CIA Partner Force Problem

Units like NDS 01, NDS 03, and the Kandahar Strike Force:

• Operated under CIA direction

• Conducted high-risk raids on Taliban, al Qaeda, and ISIS targets

• Were prime targets for infiltration, coercion, and revenge after 2021

• Became vulnerable to blackmail after family members were left behind in Afghanistan

After Kabul fell, both the Haqqani Network and ISIS Khorasan targeted former CIA partner force members.

They recruited some voluntarily and coerced others by threatening families.

They also produced thousands of fake unit ID cards to penetrate the evacuation chaos.

Analysts who reviewed Lakanwal’s card believe his was real. The networks around him still deserve scrutiny.

The Digital Red Flag That Cannot Be Ignored

The most unusual (unverified) anomaly is Google Trends data.

Searches for the name Rahmanullah Lakanwal potentially spiked in Washington, DC, hours before the shooting.

• 2:24 AM spike

• 3:28 AM spike

• 8:00 AM spike

The shooting took place around 2 PM.

No public reporting existed before that time, no leaks were circulating on social media, and no police bulletins were issued.

It appears someone in the DC region was potentially searching his full name long before the attack took place.

This does not confirm coordination or conspiracy, but it must be explained if true.

This is where the timeline stops making sense.

What the Timeline Anomaly Could Mean