Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said Afghan refugees admitted to the United States should face an "ongoing evaluation process" after entry, as he reacted on Newsmax to a shooting near the White House that left one National Guard member dead and another seriously wounded.
"The attack is absolutely horrendous," Sund said on Newsmax's "National Report," describing what he called a "horrific shooting" at a Washington Metro location "just blocks from the White House." Sund said the service members were on high-visibility patrol "trying to keep the area safe."
Authorities have said the suspect is an Afghan national who entered the United States legally in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a federal program that evacuated and resettled Afghan refugees after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Sund said the incident reflects broader concerns about screening and monitoring.
"There has to be a clear, better vetting process before they come," Sund said.
He also argued that authorities need systems to identify warning signs after refugees arrive, including missed check-ins and behavioral changes that could indicate a crisis or radicalization.
"There has to be an ongoing evaluation process," Sund said.
"And when somebody doesn't make their check-ins and you start seeing them becoming disconnected, possibly going through radicalization or severe depression leading to something like this, there has to be a way to step in and stop it," he continued.
Sund pointed to prior incidents he said involved individuals who entered the country during the same period, adding, "I hate to say it, we're not surprised by this."
During the interview, Sund also discussed an Associated Press report describing emails from a community advocate portraying the suspect as struggling to assimilate and experiencing periods of isolation and instability.
Sund said the key question is whether similar warning signs exist elsewhere and how communities can alert authorities sooner.
"The big concern right now is who else do we have in the country right now that are facing the same warning signs that we see with this suspect," he said.
Sund added that many Afghans who aided U.S. forces "deserve some care and proper treatment," while the government must "not let the bad people in."
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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