The suspect in the shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., will face first-degree murder charges following the death of one of the victims, President Donald Trump announced late Thursday, reports Baltimore Chronicle. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro confirmed on Friday that charges against the alleged gunman have been upgraded from assault to first-degree murder.
“There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro stated Friday morning on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” The suspected shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had previously faced three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and criminal possession of a weapon, officials said during a press briefing Thursday.
Lakanwal is accused of firing at two National Guard members, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, on Wednesday afternoon near the Farragut West Metro station. Pirro described the incident as a “targeted ambush,” in which Lakanwal allegedly shot one victim multiple times before firing at the second Guardsman. Video obtained by The Wall Street Journal shows the suspect brandishing a firearm before fleeing the scene, while a Guardsman is seen running and reloading his weapon.
Trump confirmed Thursday evening that Beckstrom, an Army specialist, had died. “She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” he said. Andrew Wolfe, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, remains in critical condition. “The other young man is fighting for his life. He’s in very bad shape,” Trump added.
Officials reported that Lakanwal, an Afghan national, allegedly drove from Washington state specifically to target the Guard members and used a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The motive remains unclear. A search of Lakanwal’s home in Bellingham, Washington, revealed “numerous electronic devices,” according to FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel also noted that Lakanwal had known ties with partner forces in Afghanistan, which the FBI is actively investigating.
Law enforcement sources stated that Lakanwal came to the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, applied for asylum in 2024, and was granted asylum in April, likely after vetting under the Trump administration. He has a wife, five children, and a brother in the U.S., but reportedly struggled to find employment due to an expired work permit, becoming increasingly isolated and financially desperate.
The National Guard had been deployed to Washington, D.C., as part of Trump’s federal takeover and crime crackdown in August, with 2,188 personnel assigned to the capital at the time. During the White House turkey pardoning the day before the shooting, Trump praised the administration’s efforts, claiming the city was now “totally safe” and thanking the National Guard for their work.
Earlier we wrote that National Guard member killed in targeted D.C. shooting near White House.
