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The individual accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member and seriously injuring another in Washington, D.C., last month has been charged in federal court, where the death penalty may be applicable, federal officials announced on Wednesday.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, has been recently indicted by a federal complaint on two firearm-related charges, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
He is still indicted in the federal complaint for first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a violent crime, in violation of D.C. law. The office stated, “Code.” He had formerly entered a plea of not guilty to those charges in the Washington, D.C., Court of Superior Jurisdiction.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that the case’s transfer to federal court “ensures that we can conduct the serious, deliberate, and substantial analysis necessary to ascertain if the death penalty is warranted in this instance.”
“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. 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,” said Pirro.
The D.C. Superior Court, which initially indicted Lakanwal shortly after the shooting, does not apply the death penalty.
On November 26, two National Guard members from West Virginia were shot in the head during a patrol in the nation’s capital in an “ambush-style” assault, as reported by federal prosecutors.
Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries, according to officials. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, sustained critical injuries and “faces a protracted recovery,” Pirro stated on Wednesday.
A .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, reported stolen in Seattle, Washington, in 2023, was retrieved from the shooting scene, according to federal prosecutors.
Lakanwal purportedly acquired the stolen revolver on November 14 from a person who thought the suspect required it for “personal protection while employed as a rideshare driver,” as stated in the federal complaint.
According to the complaint, he subsequently drove cross-country from Washington to D.C. in the days preceding the attack.
The federal complaint asserts that Lakanwal transported a firearm he had “reasonable cause to believe was stolen” across state lines, with the intent to commit an offense punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year.
Online records indicate that the suspect has not yet entered a plea to the federal charges.
Lakanwal, who collaborated with the CIA during the U.S. conflict in Afghanistan, arrived in the United States in 2021, according to law enforcement sources. He sought asylum last year and was granted it in April, according to sources.
The shooting suspect arrived in the United States on Sept. 8, 2021, as part of the evacuation flights arranged under President Biden to remove Afghans who had assisted U.S. military forces during the fall of Kabul.
President Trump said the suspect later had his status extended under “legislation signed by President Biden,” though it remains unclear which measure applied.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspect had since been approved for asylum but declined to provide additional details.
Lakanwal arrived in the United States under the Biden administration, having previously worked with U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan.
President Trump blamed Joe Biden and his immigration policies for allowing Lakanwal into the country.
A reporter asked the president why he blamed Biden, prompting a sharp exchange.
“Because they let him! Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person? Because they came in on a plane, along with thousands of other people that shouldn’t be here,” President Trump replied.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social the day of the shootings.
“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” he added.
