BELLINGHAM, Washington \u2014 The Afghan terrorist accused of shooting two National Guard troops had been living a seemingly quiet family life in a $2,000-a-month apartment in this idyllic Washington state town \u2013 where neighbors said the FBI busted into his home during a Wednesday raid.<\/p>\n
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was often seen playing Call of Duty and\u00a0FIFA\u00a0inside the bare apartment, which he shared with his hijab-wearing wife\u00a0and his five kids, stunned neighbors in Bellingham told The Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Neighbors said the refugees \u2014 who arrived in 2021 after the\u00a0chaotic\u00a0US pullout from Afghanistan \u2014 had no beds, and there\u00a0were\u00a0only \u201csome couch cushions they would sleep on\u201d inside the sparse apartment.<\/p>\n
According to neighbors, Lakanwal was often seen playing Call of Duty inside of his apartment. REUTERS<\/p>\n
They \u201cnever made a peep,\u201d one neighbor said, adding that Lakanwal didn\u2019t speak much English\u00a0and his oldest child is 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBellingham is very liberal,\u201d\u00a0the neighbor said, noting the area, which housed Afghan evacuees following the botched withdrawal, was \u201cVery welcoming. Very diverse. Very open.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lakanwal, who fought in Afghanistan and came into the US under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program, allegedly opened fire and struck two National Guard troops just blocks away from the White House around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Lakanwal\u2019s apartment door in Bellingham, WA was seen damaged as investigatiors attempted to get inside the unit. Barbara Davidson for NY Post<\/p>\n
National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, who had been patrolling at the time, were critically wounded in the attack.<\/p>\n
A third guardsman rushed to the scene and took Lakanwal down. Lakanwal was also left with gunshot wounds in the melee.<\/p>\n
Beckstrom\u2019s father told the New York Times she has a \u201cmortal wound,\u201d after being shot in the head and chest with the .357 Magnum-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver.<\/p>\n
Follow the latest on the National Guard shooting in Washington, DC: <\/p>\n
Following the ambush-style attack, Lakanwal\u2019s neighbor said federal agents kicked down the accused gunman\u2019s mustard-colored front door about 16 hours later.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard loud banging on the door and guys yelling \u2018FBI,\u2019\u201d the local recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n