Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghan nationwide accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members, killing one, in Washington, D.C., has been formally charged with homicide.
Lakanwal, of Bellingham, Washington, appeared earlier than a decide remotely on Tuesday from his hospital mattress, the place he’s recovering from gunshot wounds he suffered when one other Nationwide Guard member shot him in the course of the incident.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
U.S. Division of Justice
Lakanwal was carrying a hospital robe and was mendacity in a hospital mattress, lined in a blanket, in the course of the distant courtroom look.
By a Pashtu interpreter, Lakanwal was charged with one rely of homicide, two counts of assault with the intent to kill, and one rely of possession of a firearm throughout against the law of violence.
Lakanwal pleaded not responsible to the costs by way of a court-appointed legal professional.
At one level in the course of the listening to, Lakanwal, talking in Pashtu, mentioned by way of the interpreter, “I can not open my eyes, I’ve ache in my ear.”
Nationwide Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe.
U.S. Division of Justice
“It is a surprising crime that occurred at about two within the afternoon, so the start of rush hour the day earlier than Thanksgiving,” Ariel Dean, an assistant U.S. legal professional, mentioned in the course of the listening to.
Lakanwal is charged with capturing Military Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and U.S. Air Pressure Workers Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, members of the West Virginia Nationwide Guard, who have been “ambushed” whereas conducting “excessive visibility patrols” on Nov. 25 simply blocks from the White Home, authorities mentioned.
Beckstrom was killed and Wolfe was critically injured, authorities mentioned.
New particulars of the assault emerged on Tuesday when authorities unsealed a felony criticism in opposition to Lakanwal, a married father of 5 kids.
Lakanwal, in accordance with the criticism, shot Beckstrom from behind and was making an attempt to reload after he was shot and simply earlier than he was subdued. An post-mortem by the Washington, D.C., Medical Examiner’s Workplace decided that Beckstrom was shot as soon as at the back of the top, in accordance with the criticism.
Wolfe was additionally shot within the head in the course of the assault, in accordance with the criticism.
Witnesses instructed investigators that as Beckstrom and Wolfe fell to the bottom after being shot, Lakanwal was heard shouting “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic phrase that means “God is nice,” in accordance with the criticism.
Folks place flowers in a makeshift memorial arrange after two Nationwide Guard members have been shot, close to the White Home, in Washington, D.C., Nov. 28, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Video recovered from the scene of the capturing allegedly exhibits Lakanwal opening fireplace on the Nationwide Guard members after coming round a nook “along with his palms raised in a firing stance,” in accordance with the criticism.
The Nationwide Guard member who shot Lakanwal reported that it appeared the suspect’s firearm, a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, was empty and he was making an attempt to reload, in accordance with the criticism. After Lakanwal was shot, a witness and uniformed Secret Service officers subdued him and introduced him into custody, the criticism mentioned.
D.C. Superior Courtroom Choose Justice of the Peace Choose Renee Raymond dominated that Lakanwal be held with out bond till no less than Jan. 14.
‘It’s pretty clear that he [Lankanwal] got here throughout the nation 3,000 miles armed and with a selected goal in thoughts,” Raymond mentioned in the course of the listening to. “There’s video footage of him ready in broad daylight, and that upon seeing a contingent of regulation enforcement officers, together with the slain and injured Nationwide Guard individuals, he went of their path. He began capturing at them.”
A motive for the assault stays below investigation.
Sources beforehand instructed ABC Information that the FBI is investigating the capturing as a possible act of worldwide terrorism, suggesting authorities are attempting to find out if it might have been impressed by a global terrorist group. To this point, nonetheless, authorities haven’t publicly launched any particular proof tying Lakanwal to a terrorist group, and no terrorism-related prices have been filed.
The suspect beforehand labored with the U.S. authorities as a member of a accomplice power in Kandahar, “which resulted in 2021 following the withdrawal from Afghanistan,” in accordance with CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
“This particular person – and so many others – ought to have by no means been allowed to come back right here,” Ratcliffe mentioned.
In Afghanistan, the suspect was concerned with the Zero Unit, working intently with the CIA and the Joint Particular Operations Command, in accordance with sources acquainted with the investigation. The suspect was a trusted member of that staff, which went after U.S. counterterrorism targets, in accordance with sources.
The investigation signifies Lakanwal was below monetary stress as a result of his work allow had expired, and that he was experiencing a doable psychological well being disaster, sources acquainted with the investigation told ABC News.
Investigators are additionally trying into whether or not the current loss of life of an Afghan commander with whom Lakanwal labored and whom he revered may need negatively affected his psychological and emotional well being, a number of sources instructed ABC Information.
