Afghans living in the United States have reacted strongly after a shocking shooting in Washington DC on Wednesday. The attack, which left National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, dead and her colleague Andrew Wolfe, 24, fighting for life, was carried out by 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He came to the US from Afghanistan four years ago under a special immigration program for those who helped US forces during the 2021 troop withdrawal. The Afghan Community Coalition of United States called the shooting "deeply tragic" and demanded a "comprehensive investigation." Yet, they also warned the US government not to delay or stop Afghan immigration claims. "Twenty years of Afghan-US partnership must not be forgotten," said the coalition's statement, highlighting the long history of cooperation since the US entered Afghanistan in 2001. Many Afghans in America told the BBC they were horrified by the attack and want it known this was one person's crime, not a reflection of the whole Afghan community. One Afghan, who moved to the US after the troop withdrawal, said the incident was "deeply tragic," especially just before Thanksgiving during a "highly charged political environment in Washington DC." He added, "Afghans in the United States are hardworking, tax paying members of society. They remain grateful to America for the evacuation efforts during the crisis in Kabul." Rahmanullah Lakanwal is said to have worked with US forces as a guard at Kabul airport during the withdrawal. He later came to the US, applied for asylum in 2024, and won it earlier this year. Another Afghan who came to the US after 2021 described the shooting as "really shocking" and said he is praying for the victims' families. He stressed the shooting was an "individual crime" without any support from the Afghan community. But the fallout has stirred fear and uncertainty. Another Afghan man explained the shooting felt like a "very devastating event for all immigrants," especially with President Donald Trump halting all Afghan immigration requests and ordering reviews of green cards from 19 countries. "It's really bad for everyone that the Trump administration wants to re-evaluate the process of immigration," he said, warning, "No one knows what will happen." He also shared the pain of living between two difficult worlds — facing dangers in Afghanistan and challenges in America. "For us Afghans there's problem for us in Afghanistan as well as here," he said. This tragic shooting brings big questions about how America treats Afghan immigrants who risked their lives helping US forces. The Afghan community in the US hopes their story of courage and gratitude won’t be lost in the political storms it has stirred.