In brief
Afghans in the United States are expressing their sorrow over a shooting that left one National Guard member dead and another injured. The alleged gunman, who came to the US as part of a special immigration program, does not represent their community, they say. As President Trump halts immigration requests from Afghans in the wake of this crime, community leaders call for continued support for Afghan immigrants.
Afghans living in the US have condemned Wednesday's 'deeply tragic' deadly shooting attack in Washington DC, while stressing that the suspect - who moved to the US from Afghanistan four years ago - does not represent them.
The alleged gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered America under a programme that offered special immigration protections to Afghans who worked with the US in the wake of its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in Wednesday's shooting, and a colleague, Andrew Wolfe, 24, is said to be fighting for his life.
In response, US President Donald Trump has halted the processing of all immigration requests from Afghans, ordered a review of green cards issued to individuals from 19 countries, and threatened a wider crackdown on migrants from what he calls 'third-world countries'.
On Friday, his administration also said it had halted all decisions on asylum claims.
The Afghan Community Coalition of United States expressed its sympathy for families of the victims, calling for a 'comprehensive investigation' but urging the US government not to delay or suspend Afghan immigration claims.
'Twenty years of Afghan-US partnership must not be forgotten,' the coalition's statement said, nodding to the two-decade effort launched by the US in 2001 to overthrow Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and establish security in the country.
Afghans living in America told the BBC they had been horrified by the Washington DC attack, which they emphasised was the act of just one person.
One Afghan, who emigrated after the US withdrawal, described Wednesday's incident as 'deeply tragic'. He noted the timing ahead of Thanksgiving, and amid a 'highly charged political environment in Washington DC'.
'Afghans in the United States are hardworking, tax paying members of society,' he added. 'They remain grateful to America for the evacuation efforts during the crisis in Kabul.'
The suspect, Mr Lakanwal, is said by US officials to have had a relationship with US forces in Afghanistan while they were stationed there. He helped guard US forces at Kabul airport at the time of the withdrawal, a former military commander who served alongside him told the BBC.
He came to the US the same year. He applied for asylum in 2024, and his application was granted earlier this year.
Crystal Bayat, an Afghan human rights activist who moved to the US after 2021, expressed continuous fear of abrupt changes in US immigration policies. 'I hope President Trump changes his mind on this,' she said.
