Jon Decker with a National Guard shooting update

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's go back to a national issue going on in Washington,
d C. As we're joined by our own correspondent, John Decker.
The National Guard shooting that happened, and John, over the
weekend or actually on Friday, I was listening to you
on one of our other shows talking about the shooter.
What do we know about him, his time with our military,
and what motivated him.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well, we don't know what motivated him. But the good
thing is is that he's still alive. So that means
that investigators can question him, look into his background, look
to see who he socialized with after he emigrated to
the US from Afghanistan several years ago after the fall
of Afghanistan, and learn more about him, learn more what

(00:42):
his motivations were, and potentially learn more about whether or
not he had any help in terms of this attack.
What we did learn yesterday from two members of President
Trump's cabinet, that's Tam Bondi, the Attorney General, Christinomec Trea
of Homeland Security, they say that this individual was radicalized

(01:05):
here in the US, which is a different narrative that
we heard last week when this suspect was apprehended. After
the shooting of those two National Guards members. Initially it
was well, here's an individual who wasn't properly vetted. Now
we hear a different narrative, not focusing on the vetting process,
but rather than focusing on what happened after he was

(01:26):
here in the United States, and that is, according to
both of those cabinet officials, he was radicalized. What radicalized him,
who radicalized him. Those are questions that have yet to
be answered, but certainly investigator's law enforcement, homeland security will
lookt into that now that this individual is indeed in
US custody and they can question him as long as

(01:48):
they wish.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
And John, one of the things this raised, the questions
this raises is how many other people are here in
America just like this guy, who have also become radicalized?
And because he's not the only person who was helping
was the CIA was helping.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
He was working with the CIA while he was in Afghanistan.
He was vetted to take on that responsibility. He was
vetted by the CIA. And you know, I think that
it is a good question, you know, in terms of
are there other individuals like this a suspect residing here
in the US who potentially have been radicalized here in

(02:23):
the United States. That's where you know, the investigative work
is so important, and that's why it's important obviously that
you know that Q and A, with that interrogation process
with this individual, proceeds and proceeds quickly to make certain
that there is not another incident like what we saw
happen here in Washington, d C. Last Wednesday.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
And we're presuming, of course that because we say he's
been radicalized, that this was this was probably we don't
know the official motivation. But I heard reports that do
we know anything about the actual incident, like was did
he shout anything when he was apprehended or anything we have.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Or anything like that. I haven't. No witness that I've
seen has indicated that, so, you know, but that is
all part of the investigation. I never jumped to conclusions,
you know, or leap to anything without hearing what it
is that investigators have uncovered as part of their probe,
their probe into what led up to this terrible incident,

(03:21):
the sarific incident, one person killed, the other National Guards
member in critical condition, and the president, you know, obviously
upset by that. You know, he spoke to the families
of both of those guardsmen over the weekend, and they're
dealing one is dealing with loss and the other one
is dealing with the potential of life very much changed

(03:41):
because of this shooting that happened just the day before Thanksgiving.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
And the horrible thing is the reason he was here
was because after he assisted our CIA overseas, the concern was, well,
his life is in danger, and so we granted him.
We said, why don't come up to America. You'll be
safe here, and then this is kind of what happens
in spite of that.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Right, I think that what you say is correct, you know,
and it's unclear, you know, if there are other individuals.
It's unfortunate that an entire group is painted with the
broad brush because of the acts of this sick person.
But you know, I think that that's why an investigation
is necessary. The President, meanwhile, has paused all asylum claims

(04:22):
from individuals from nineteen different countries, including Afghanistan. This person
was ultimately granted asylum in April of this year. So
that happened, you know, in the Trump administration, and you know,
I think that they have some questions, just like the
Biden administration has some questions to ask about who are
the people that were let into the United States from

(04:45):
Afghanistan after the Fall of Afghanistan that took place during
President Biden's first year in office.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
John Decker, thank you so much for joining us this
morning from Washington, d C.