Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghan national accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House last week, has been formally charged in D.C. Superior Court. Those charges include murder, assault with intent to kill while armed, and multiple firearms offenses.
Lakanwal appeared remotely from a D.C. hospital, where he is recovering from gunshot wounds he suffered when another Guard member fired on him during the attack.
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Speaking through a Pashtu interpreter, he entered a not guilty plea.
A magistrate judge ordered him held without bond, calling the government’s case “exceedingly strong.” His next hearing is set for mid-January.
What court documents describe
According to the newly filed complaint, the shooting happened the day before Thanksgiving as Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were on patrol near the Farragut West Metro station.
A supervisor speaking with them saw both fall to the ground as gunfire erupted. He said he witnessed Lakanwal firing a handgun and shouting “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic phrase meaning “God is great.”
An autopsy cited in the filings found that Beckstrom was shot once in the back of the head. Wolfe was also shot in the head and remains hospitalized in critical condition. However, officials say he has shown small signs of responsiveness.
Beckstrom died of her injuries on Thanksgiving, with her parents at her bedside.
Investigators say Lakanwal attempted to reload a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver before another National Guard member shot him. A witness then jumped on him, and Secret Service officers helped subdue him.
Security footage referenced in the complaint shows him approaching in a firing stance. A Justice Department image released Tuesday appears to show him bending down next to the two wounded Guardsmen after the shooting.
Suspect’s background under scrutiny
Lakanwal’s history has become central to the investigation and the political fallout. Officials say he previously worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan as part of a CIA-backed “Zero Unit” based in Kandahar.
He and his family fled Taliban threats and were brought to the United States in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. His asylum was approved earlier this year.
Sources told CBS News he served on a CIA-backed operations team for about eight years and suffered from PTSD. Emails obtained by the network suggest his mental health had deteriorated in recent years.
ABC News sources say the FBI is examining whether the shooting could have been inspired by an international terrorist organization. However, no terrorism charges have been filed, and authorities have not tied him to a specific group.
This story is featured in today’s Unbiased Updates. Watch the full episode here.
Political and security fallout
The Trump administration has cited the case as justification to expand its immigration crackdown, halting all visa and immigration processing for Afghan nationals. It’s also reviewing green card cases from 19 countries.
Late Tuesday, the Trump administration went even further, pausing all immigration applications from those same 19 countries already facing travel restrictions.
According to a new USCIS policy memo, the decision will delay green card and citizenship cases but is necessary, the agency says, to ensure “maximum” vetting following the D.C. attack.
