At a Glance
- Marine Kareem Nikoui, 20, died in the Abbey Gate bombing during the Kabul evacuation on August 26, 2021.
- Eleven months later, his brother Dakota Halverson, 28, took his own life after struggling with autism and substance abuse.
- Their mother, Shana Chappell, later married Tadeo Guerra, a Marine who served with Nikoui and survived the attack.
- Why it matters: The story shows one family’s staggering wartime loss and the unexpected path toward healing.
Shana Chappell’s world shattered on August 26, 2021, when her youngest son, Marine Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, was killed by a suicide bomber at Kabul’s Abbey Gate. Eleven months later, his older brother Dakota Halverson died by suicide, leaving their mother to navigate grief that she says she “wouldn’t wish on anybody, not even my worst enemy.”
A Double Tragedy
Nikoui, 20, had been safeguarding evacuations during America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. The blast killed 13 U.S. service members and scores of civilians. “Every day my slate was wiped clean because I was trying to make sense of losing my son,” Chappell, 53, told News Of Losangeles.
Halverson, then 28, had battled autism-related challenges and substance abuse, but Nikoui had urged him to stay sober. He got a job and an apartment, only to spiral after his brother’s death. In the weeks before Halverson’s suicide, he asked whether the Bible condemned suicide and if he could be buried next to Nikoui. Two weeks before the first anniversary of the bombing, Halverson killed himself.
Political Anger and Retreat
Chappell initially blamed the Biden administration online, then voiced support for Donald Trump. She later turned on Trump, accusing him of exploiting the Abbey Gate anniversary for campaign gain. “I felt like Trump and Congress disrespected me and my son,” she said. “Kareem didn’t lean right and he didn’t lean left. You were making people dislike my son because they think he’s a Trump supporter and he’s not.”
Congressional hearings began in March 2023, but Chappell skipped a August 2023 roundtable, citing heart-rhythm issues and emotional exhaustion. By the second year, she stopped most interviews, convinced many reporters “didn’t care about me or my family.”
A New Chapter
Chappell eventually stepped back from news and social media. She reconnected with Tadeo Guerra, 25, a Marine who had stood beside Nikoui at Abbey Gate and lost hearing in the blast. The two married and moved to Riverside County, a short drive from the cemetery where both sons are buried.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Abbey Gate bombing | August 26, 2021 |
| Dakota Halverson’s death | July 2022 |
| Congressional hearings begin | March 2023 |
| Family roundtable | August 2023 |
Guerra “has taught me I’m allowed to live,” Chappell said. “Even though he was there when his Marine brothers were killed… he still manages to have so much patience and understanding with me.”
Visiting the Boys
Chappell now visits the graves several times a week. “I kiss each one of their pictures and tell them hi and talk about my day,” she said. “It calms my nerves.”
Her four surviving children and six grandchildren live nearby. “There’s something about getting a hug and being around them and playing with them,” she said. “It brings me some type of peace.”
Key Takeaways
- One family endured the loss of two sons within a year, tied to the Afghanistan withdrawal and its emotional aftermath.
- Public grief drew political attention, but Chappell now rejects partisan labels and focuses on family.
- Love emerged in an unexpected place: marriage to a Marine who shared the trauma of Abbey Gate.
