17- Opinion on National News - Isaiah Calvert

 

A tragic shooting in Washington, D.C. left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another seriously injured. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, only 20 years old, died on Thanksgiving after being shot during a routine patrol outside a Metro station. Her partner and friend, Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, is still fighting for his life in the hospital, though doctors have seen small signs of improvement. Both soldiers came from tight-knit West Virginia communities, and the state has held vigils and tributes to honor them.

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who came to the U.S in 2021 after working with CIA-backed counterterrorism units. Despite claims made after the attack, officials say he underwent thorough vetting before entering the country. He had recently been granted asylum in April but was reportedly struggling with severe mental health issues. Authorities still have not identified a clear motive and say the investigation is ongoing.

Lakanwal is facing murder charges, multiple assault counts, and firearm charges, and could potentially face the death penalty. He was shot and detained immediately after the attack.

The shooting has sparked intense political debate. The Trump administration has increased the National Guard presence in D.C. and paused immigration processing for Afghan nationals. Critics argue this is unfair collective punishment for refugees who assisted the United States during the war. Afghan community groups have also spoken out, saying the suspect’s actions should not be used to vilify all evacuees.

West Virginia leaders, including Gov. Patrick Morrisey, have been publicly calling for justice while honoring the two Guard members as heroes committed to serving their state and country. (Washington Post)

In my opinion, this entire situation shows how complicated and fragile the U.S. immigration and vetting system can be, especially for people coming from war zones. What happened in D.C. is heartbreaking, and it’s understandable that people want answers and accountability. But I don’t think it’s fair—or useful—to judge every Afghan evacuee by the actions of one individual who was clearly struggling with severe mental health issues. 

The focus should be on finding out what went wrong in this specific case, supporting the families of the victims, and improving mental-health resources for refugees rather than turning the incident into a broad political attack. At the same time, the government does have a responsibility to make sure the vetting process is strong and updated when needed. The biggest takeaway for me is that tragedies like this require both empathy and careful policy, not panic or blame toward entire communities.