The suspect in a fatal shooting targeting two U.S. National Guard members in Washington, D.C., will be charged with first-degree murder following the death of one of the victims, media reports said on Friday.
"There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree," Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told Fox News.
The shooting occurred around 2.15 pm local time (1915GMT) on Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station in the U.S. capital.
The victims, Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both from the nearby state of West Virginia, were reportedly ambushed.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Beckstrom’s death Thursday evening, saying: “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now.”
“The other young man is fighting for his life,” president Trump added, referring to Wolfe.
Suspect drove across country to Washington
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly drove across the country from Washington state in the northwestern U.S. to the capital and opened fire “without provocation, ambush style,” Pirro said. He reportedly used a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
Lakanwal was initially charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill along with criminal possession of a weapon.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, a search of Lakanwal’s home in Bellingham in Washington state uncovered “numerous electronic devices.”
The FBI is also investigating his “relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces,” Patel said. U.S. officials said Thursday that, Lakanwal had worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan before August 2021, when the Afghan government fell to Taliban forces.
Law enforcement sources said Lakanwal, originally from Afghanistan, came to the U.S. in 2021, applied for asylum in 2024, and was granted it in April. He reportedly struggled financially due to an expired work permit.
Many former U.S. allies in Afghanistan applied to live in the US after 2021, as they had worked against the Taliban and feared for their safety.
The National Guard was deployed to Washington, D.C. in August, as part of a controversial Trump administration initiative said to target safer streets. Many of the cities involved resisted the deployment, saying it was not needed and created a dangerous precedent in sending the military to American soil without good reason.
Nearly 2,200 members of the guard are currently still stationed in Washington.
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Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Kazakhstan has evacuated more than 7,300 citizens from the Middle East since regional tensions escalated, using both air and land routes to bring nationals home while closely monitoring political developments and potential economic effects linked to rising oil prices.
Almost 2,000 people have been evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan since conflict erupted in the Middle East.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
The first batch of Peter Mandelson’s papers on his 2024 ambassadorial appointment is set to be published on Wednesday, following a parliamentary order. The release comes amid police investigations over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
At least six people have died after a bus caught fire in Kerzers, Switzerland, in what police say may have been a deliberate act. Witnesses reported a man inside the vehicle set himself alight. Three others were injured and taken to hospital, while authorities continue their investigation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 11th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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