Federal prosecutors have added new firearm-related charges against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national accused of ambushing two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House last month, a move that opens the door for authorities to consider seeking capital punishment.
The updated charges, filed December 23 in federal court, include violations related to transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony and handling a stolen weapon, according to PBS. The federal counts supplement earlier local charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, and weapons offenses stemming from the November 26 attack that killed 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and left Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, severely wounded.
“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,” said Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “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.”
The shooting occurred near the Farragut West Metro station, where prosecutors say Lakanwal opened fire on the two service members while they were on patrol as part of a federal deployment to the capital. Beckstrom was struck in the head and chest and died shortly after. Wolfe, who was also shot in the head, has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks but remains in recovery.
President Donald Trump referenced Beckstrom’s death during a Thanksgiving call with service members.
“I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about — highly respected, young, magnificent person, started service in June of 2023 outstanding in every way — she’s just passed away, she’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” he told NBC News.
Authorities have described the shooting as deliberate and targeted. Lakanwal, who was wounded by responding Guard members and taken into custody, had traveled from his home in Bellingham, Washington, where he lived with his wife and five children. He had previously worked as a driver for Amazon.
Lakanwal immigrated to the United States in September 2021, months after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He had spent roughly a decade serving in the Afghan military, including alongside American special forces at a base in Kandahar province.
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