The man accused of ambushing and shooting two National Guard members in downtown Washington, D.C., last week has been charged with murder and other offences, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, appeared remotely from a hospital bed for his first court appearance, where a judge ordered him held without bond, citing the “sheer terror” of the attack that took place just blocks from the White House.
According to court documents, Lakanwal, an Afghan national, travelled from Washington state to the U.S. capital to carry out the attack. Prosecutors allege he opened fire on two Army National Guard members from West Virginia — Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24 — as they supported local law enforcement under President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown initiative.
Beckstrom was fatally wounded in the assault and died the following day, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.
During the ambush, witnesses said Lakanwal shouted “Allahu akbar!” — meaning “God is Greatest” — before being shot and subdued by a major in the Army National Guard, assisted by other service members and a U.S. Secret Service officer, according to the criminal complaint.
Lakanwal appeared in court wearing a hospital gown and appeared weak, at times struggling to keep his eyes open as a translator relayed the proceedings.
He faces four criminal counts, including first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill while armed.
Authorities said Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under a resettlement programme for Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan war. His immigration status has since become a political flashpoint amid President Trump’s renewed calls for stricter border and asylum policies.
The Department of Justice said federal and local investigators are examining Lakanwal’s travel history and potential motives, though officials have not confirmed whether the shooting is being treated as a terrorist act.
The attack has sent shockwaves through the capital and reignited debate over the vetting of Afghan evacuees resettled after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Kabul.
Funeral services for Beckstrom are expected to be held later this week in West Virginia, where she joined the National Guard shortly after graduating high school.
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