Tipsheet

Another Afghan National Was Busted for Allegedly Plotting a Mass Shooting

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  December 05, 2025 12:30 PM

Democrats swore up and down that the Biden administration "carefully vetted" all the Afghan nationals we brought to America after the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. Despite that, an Afghan national named Rahmanullah Lakanwal drove from the West Coast to D.C., where he shot two National Guardsmen, killing one of them, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, and leaving the other, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, critically wounded.

In the days following that shooting, more Afghan nationals were arrested for various threats, including one in Texas who threatened to bomb Fort Worth and one in Virginia who was helping ISIS-K.

Now a third Afghan national named Luqmaan Khan was arrested in Delaware, this time for allegedly plotting a mass shooting.

"He allegedly told cops that becoming a martyr was 'one of the greatest things you can do,'" Morello wrote.

Kahn came to the U.S. as a "youth," according to The New York Post.

Here's more:

Luqmaan Khan, 25, was born in Afghanistan, then fled at some point to Pakistan where he lived as a refugee for “a few years,” the Pakistani embassy told The Post. He then came to the US, where he became a citizen.

US officials first reported that Khan was a Pakistani immigrant, which the nation’s embassy has since refuted.

It remains unclear at what age he came to the US, but Delaware police told The Post he was a “youth” at the time, while Pakistani official said he lived “most of his life” in America.

The New York Post also reported that Kahn was found in possession of a large cache of guns, ammunition, and body armor.

The University of Delaware was Kahn's target, and he was nabbed after a traffic stop.

According to CBS News Philadelphia, Khan was spotted by police on the evening of November 24, parked after hours in Canby Park West, and approached the vehicle. Khan refused to cooperate and resisted arrest. In the car, they found a Glock .357, three loaded magazines, and a handwritten notebook listing additional firearms and possible escape plans. The notebook also named a University of Delaware police officer by name and a drawn map of the University police station.

During a search at Khan's home, authorities found a rifle with a scope, 11 extended magazines, a Glock 19 handgun with an "illegal machine gun switch," and a tactical vest.

University of Delaware students were shocked and frightened by the arrest.

"It sends chills down my spine," said freshman Thomas Ruane. "Thinking how close a really dangerous guy was to campus."

Sophomore Blythe Geddes said, "Yeah, it was scary." She added, "Being on campus, you kind of feel like it's a bubble, but there's people who can be dangerous."

The FBI issued a statement on Khan's arrest.

The statement read:

In the handwritten notebook, Khan discussed additional weapons and firearms, how they could be used in an attack, and how law enforcement detection could be avoided once an attack was carried out. The notebook referenced a member of the University of Delaware’s Police Department by name, and included a layout of a building with entry and exit points under which the words “UD Police Station” were printed. 


On November 25, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NCCPD executed a search warrant at Khan’s Wilmington residence. Within, law enforcement recovered a Glock 19 9mm handgun equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device, commonly called a “switch.” Law enforcement also recovered a .556 rifle with a scope and a red dot sight, eleven more extended magazines, hollow point rounds of ammunition, and a two-plate tactical vest equipped with a single ballistic plate. 


The criminal complaint charges Khan with possessing a machinegun. If convicted of the charge, Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment. If Khan is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.


The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Castle County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Frey and Kevin P. Pierce, and Criminal Chief Carly A. Hudson, are prosecuting the case.

This case is a quintessential example of federal and state law enforcement collaborating to neutralize a grave threat to Delaware before the worst could come to pass.  I want to thank our dedicated law enforcement partners at the FBI and the NCCPD for their exceptional work.  As always, we are proud to work with them to keep Delaware safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julianne E. Murray.

In response to these developments, President Trump halted immigration from at least 19 nations, citing national security concerns.