An Afghan man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges related to the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House, resulting in the death of one soldier. Lakanwal, 29, entered his plea via video link from a hospital bed, where he is recovering from injuries sustained during the incident.
The charges against Lakanwal include first-degree murder for the death of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guard member from West Virginia. He is also facing assault with intent to kill and various firearms offenses. Another soldier, Andrew Wolfe, who was also part of the National Guard, was wounded in the attack and is currently in critical condition.
Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond has ordered that Lakanwal remain in custody until the next hearing, scheduled for January 14. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that she intends to pursue the death penalty in this case, highlighting the severity of the allegations.
Lakanwal, who arrived in the United States as part of a resettlement initiative after the American military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, was previously associated with a CIA-backed “partner force” combating the Taliban in his home country.
Reports indicate that Lakanwal ambushed the two soldiers while they were conducting a routine patrol outside a metro station in downtown Washington, D.C. According to a criminal complaint, witnesses reported that Lakanwal opened fire and shouted “Allahu Akbar!” during the attack. One National Guard member returned fire, wounding Lakanwal and managing to restrain him before he could reload.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has expressed concerns that Lakanwal may have been radicalized after his entry into the United States. It is alleged that he drove across the country to execute the attack, which took place just before the Thanksgiving holiday, leaving the nation reeling.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Trump administration implemented a suspension of visas for Afghan nationals, halting all asylum case decisions. Despite being granted asylum in April 2025, some officials have criticized what they see as inadequate vetting processes by the previous administration of President Biden that allowed Lakanwal to enter the country.
Meanwhile, another Afghan man, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, is facing separate charges in Texas for allegedly threatening to build a bomb and conduct a suicide attack against Americans. Details reveal that Alokozay, 30, a resident of Fort Worth, praised the Taliban in a threatening video shared across social media platforms. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was able to apprehend him before he could execute any violent plans, and if convicted, Alokozay could face up to five years in prison for his actions.
