In looking at Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan shooter who attacked two National Guard soldiers in Washington, Jeff Stein argues that the tragedy reveals the harsh limits of vetting — even highly screened “ally” soldiers. Stein suggests the real culprit isn’t necessarily a failure of background checks, but the hellish drop from war-time valor to civilian neglect: mental deterioration, economic struggle, and social isolation that no fingerprint database could foresee.
