Neighbors React After FBI Raids Apartment of DC Shooting Suspect in Bellingham

Residents at an apartment complex in Bellingham, Washington, woke up to a startling scene early Thanksgiving morning. FBI agents kicked in the door of a unit linked to Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday.

Neighbors say they heard a loud boom before seeing agents with weapons drawn at the door. Many were shocked to learn someone living so close to them was now suspected in a nationally scrutinized attack.

Several residents told investigators they had seen Lakanwal and his family around the complex but never got to know them well. Some described brief hallway interactions with his children, while others said Lakanwal kept to himself.

Authorities say Lakanwal had settled in Bellingham as a refugee from Afghanistan four years ago. According to investigators, he drove across the country with the intent of reaching Washington, D.C., where the ambush-style shooting took place.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia described the attack as a direct threat to public safety and vowed full accountability under the law. Records show no criminal history for Lakanwal prior to his arrest this week.

Similar search warrants connected to the investigation have been executed in Washington, D.C., and San Diego as multiple agencies continue working the case.

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