The attack was meticulously planned: Lacanval opened fire with a revolver on two members of the West Virginia National Guard — 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, who had just taken their oath. President Trump confirmed that Sarah Beckstrom did not survive her injuries, while Andrew Wolfe is currently "fighting for his life."
The FBI is treating the incident as an act of terrorism; searches are being conducted at the homes of the suspect in two states.
Lacanval was part of the 03 strike group "Kandahar," known locally as the "Scorpion Forces." Initially, this unit was under the control of the CIA but later came under the command of the National Directorate of Security of Afghanistan.
A former commander of Lacanval described him as "an athletic and cheerful person," a specialist in GPS tracking.
Just five days before the Taliban captured Kabul, his unit was transferred from Kandahar to the capital, where they defended the airport for another six days before being evacuated to the U.S.
At a press conference held on Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that Lacanval had connections with American forces, stating that he "had relationships in Afghanistan with partner forces" before moving to the U.S.
In 2024, Lacanval applied for asylum, which was approved earlier this year, according to a CBS official.
Joseph Edlow, head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated that the president has ordered a "comprehensive and thorough review of every green card for foreigners from countries of concern."
When asked by the BBC which countries are included on this list, the agency referred to a White House statement from June mentioning Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela.
