A brazen attack in the heart of Washington D.C. has left a 20-year-old US soldier dead and a second seriously wounded after a gunman opened fire on them in broad daylight. The shooting, described by authorities as a targeted "ambush," unfolded on Wednesday afternoon near Farragut Square, just two blocks from the White House.

The incident immediately reverberated from the streets of the U.S. capital to security circles here in Kenya. For a nation familiar with the complexities of urban security and the fight against terrorism, the attack highlights the stark vulnerability of security forces, even in the most fortified of global power centers. It underscores a shared challenge: protecting the protectors.

The deceased has been identified as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of the West Virginia National Guard. A second soldier, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition after undergoing surgery. President Donald Trump announced Beckstrom's death on Thursday, calling her a "magnificent person, outstanding in every way."

A Midday Ambush

According to Metropolitan Police, the suspect approached the soldiers around 2:15 p.m. and "immediately started firing." Law enforcement sources revealed the attacker first shot Beckstrom, took her weapon, and then shot Wolfe before a third Guard member returned fire, wounding and stopping the assailant. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was taken into custody at the scene.

The complexity of the case deepened as details emerged about the alleged shooter. Key facts include:

• Identity: Rahmanullah Lakanwal is an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021 under a humanitarian parole program following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Past U.S. Ties: The CIA confirmed that Lakanwal had previously worked with the U.S. government as a member of a CIA-backed partner force in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
• Motive: A motive for the attack remains under investigation, though the FBI is treating it as an act of terrorism. Lakanwal is reportedly not cooperating with investigators.

Washington's Response, Nairobi's Watch

In response to the attack, President Trump ordered an additional 500 National Guard troops to be deployed to the streets of Washington D.C., vowing the suspect would pay the "steepest possible price." The incident has also triggered a significant policy shift, with the Trump administration pausing the processing of immigration applications for Afghan nationals pending a security review.

For Kenya, a strategic partner of the United States in counterterrorism, this event is more than a distant headline. The U.S. provides significant security assistance to professionalize the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) and enhance border security in the fight against groups like al-Shabaab. An attack on U.S. soil by an individual with a background in U.S.-partnered forces in Afghanistan raises sensitive questions about vetting and the long-term consequences of geopolitical alliances—issues highly relevant to Kenya's own security partnerships.

As investigators in Washington dig into the shooter's past, security analysts in Nairobi will be watching closely. The question of how a former ally could become an attacker is a sobering reminder of the intricate and often unpredictable nature of modern global security threats.