Suspect in National Guard Shooting Hit With New Charges

A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House has been hit in a complaint with federal firearms charges in connection with the ambush on Nov. 26 that fatally wounded one of the West Virginia National Guard members and seriously injured the second. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been charged with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to commit an offense punishable for more than one year, per the AP. He has also been charged federally with transporting a stolen firearm in interstate commerce.

"The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here," says US Attorney Jeanine Pirro. "Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was killed, and her parents are now forced to endure the holiday season without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery." There's no death penalty in DC Superior Court.

Lakanwal, who was shot during the encounter, has pleaded not guilty to the DC charges. He remains charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and, in violation of DC code, illegal possession of a firearm in the shooting that killed Beckstrom and wounded Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for President Trump's law-enforcement surge in the nation's capital, which has flooded the city with federal agents and troops since August. Lakanwal is accused of driving from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, DC, while in possession of a stolen firearm and ambushing the two Guard members outside a subway station three blocks from the White House.

An Afghan national, Lakanwal worked with the American government, including the CIA, "as a member of a partner force" in Kandahar, Afghanistan, says CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 through the "Operation Allies Welcome" program, officials said. That Biden administration initiative evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from the country. Lakanwal's lawyer wasn't immediately available for comment.