UN Warns against Blaming All Afghan Migrants after D.C. Shooting

DID Press: Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, urged U.S. authorities and the American public to avoid blaming all Afghan migrants after the recent shooting incident near the White House.

Endorsing statements made by an Afghan refugee advocacy organization, Bennett stressed that the perpetrator must be held accountable, but “punishing an entire community for the actions of one individual is a grave and utterly senseless injustice.” He further warned that it is critical to “keep a cool head.”

Bennett’s remarks come at a time of heightened political debate in the United States, after officials confirmed that the shooting suspect was an Afghan national who arrived in the country in 2021 following the fall of Kabul.

The incident prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to call for a renewed review of Afghan immigration files—raising concerns among rights groups about increasing stigmatization and isolation of Afghan migrants.

Afghan refugee support organizations have also voiced alarm over the growing negative environment. AfghanEvac—an organization assisting with the resettlement of Afghans—condemned the shooting but warned that the event should not be used to “isolate Afghan migrants.” Shawn VanDiver, the group’s president, said that Afghans entering the U.S. undergo “extensive security vetting,” and the act of one individual “must not distort or malign the entire community.”

U.S. officials have identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a former Afghan army soldier who served for ten years alongside U.S. special forces and sought refuge in the United States after Kabul’s collapse. His relatives expressed shock, saying they never expected him to commit such an act.