Fact-Check: National Guard Shooter Was Vetted — Noem's 'Unvetted' Claim Debunked

Summary: Governor Kristi Noem claimed the National Guard shooting suspect was an Afghan national who arrived "unvetted" under Operation Allies Welcome in 2021. Officials and sources familiar with the case say 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal was screened on arrival, his fingerprints matched government records, and his asylum claim was approved in April 2025. The Nov. 26 attack near the White House left one guardsman dead and another critically injured, prompting security reviews of Afghan immigration cases.

08:18 AM, 11/30/2025Politics

Fact-Check: National Guard Shooter Was Vetted — Noem's 'Unvetted' Claim Debunked

Overview: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem claimed that the suspect in the National Guard shooting was an Afghan national who arrived in the U.S. "unvetted" under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) in 2021. Officials and sources familiar with the case say that the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was screened on arrival and later had an asylum claim approved in 2025.

In a post on X, Governor Noem wrote that the suspect was "one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021."

What the record shows

Federal and law-enforcement sources say Lakanwal's fingerprints were matched to arrival records, confirming his identity. A person familiar with the case told investigators that he underwent screening before he worked with U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and again when he left the country for the United States.

Evacuees processed under Operation Allies Welcome were screened by federal agencies as part of the intake process. That screening involved checks by multiple intelligence and law-enforcement bodies to identify security risks before parole into the United States.

Lakanwal entered the United States under OAW parole in 2021. He later applied for asylum and, according to law enforcement sources, his asylum claim was approved in April 2025.

The attack and aftermath

The shooting took place near the White House at the Farragut West Metro entrance on Nov. 26 at approximately 2:15 p.m. Two National Guard members were struck: 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom died of her injuries the following day, and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition. The suspect was subdued at the scene and treated for minor injuries.

In response to the attack, officials announced a security review of Afghan immigration cases. A political response has included calls for broader investigations into evacuees who arrived under OAW and a temporary pause on immigration requests from Afghan nationals pending review.

Bottom line: Public records and law-enforcement sources contradict the claim that the suspect arrived "unvetted." Fingerprint matches and multiple screenings documented at arrival indicate the individual was subject to federal vetting, and his later asylum approval occurred in 2025.

Note: This article summarizes statements from officials and people familiar with the investigation. Names of specific reporting organizations have been omitted to present the facts directly.