Federal authorities on Wednesday announced charges against an Afghan national accused of ambushing two members of the West Virginia National Guard near the White House, killing one and seriously injuring the other, reported the Associated Press.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been charged in federal court with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit an offense punishable by more than one year, as well as 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,” said 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.”
Lakanwal remains charged under D.C. law with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and illegal possession of a firearm in connection with the November 26 shooting that killed Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Wolfe, 24.
Lakanwal, who was injured during the incident, has pleaded not guilty to the D.C. charges. D.C. Superior Court does not allow the death penalty.
Authorities say the two soldiers were part of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to Washington as part of President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement surge launched in August, bringing federal agents and troops to the nation’s capital. Lakanwal is accused of driving from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., with a stolen firearm and ambushing the two near a subway station three blocks from the White House.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal, an Afghan national, had previously worked with the American government, “as a member of a partner force” in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Officials said Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program created to evacuate and resettle Afghans who assisted US forces following the withdrawal from Afghanistan.