The journey from Washington state to the nation's capital ended in bloodshed, but the psychological unraveling of the man accused of shooting two National Guard troops seemingly began years prior in the rugged terrain of Kandahar. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, now charged with attempting to kill American soldiers, reportedly carried the invisible scars of a brutal past long before he pulled the trigger blocks from the White House.
While the 29-year-old had been living in the US as a refugee, a childhood friend suggests that Lakanwal was haunted by the violence he witnessed and perpetrated as a member of a feared paramilitary force. The suspect previously served in a CIA-associated 'Zero Unit', a force that utilised locals to battle the Taliban during the decades-long war in Afghanistan.
