An Afghan national charged with fatally shooting a National Guard member and firing on others near the White House last year has been moved from jail to a hospital after refusing food and water, according to court documents.
Federal prosecutors said they were informed that Rahmanullah Lakanwal was taken to a hospital around midnight Wednesday in an effort to “preserve his life.” The move followed a June warning from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) that Lakanwal had been refusing to “consume adequate nutrition for an extended period.”
USMS officials said they feared Lakanwal had placed himself “at risk for long-term health consequences, including a potential risk of death,” the filing stated.
During an emergency hearing late Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta described the murder suspect’s medical state as both “dire” and “self-inflicted,” according to a transcript obtained by The New York Times.
National Guard members stand behind yellow tape after two Guard members were shot near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26, 2025. (Reuters; Provided by Department of Justice)
Lakanwal, 30, is accused of killing West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critically injuring Guardsman Andrew Wolfe in the November attack. He faces 17 counts, including first-degree murder, a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty.
In the latest filing, prosecutors told Mehta that on June 16, 2026 — the same day Lakanwal entered not guilty pleas to all charges — they became aware of a protective order that “prohibited the government from receiving medical records concerning Lakanwal’s treatment.”
Mehta determined that prosecutors were entitled to access Lakanwal’s medical records and communicate with his treatment providers “for the duration of his current hospitalization.”
File photo of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who later died from injuries sustained in a shooting in Washington D.C., on the evening of Nov. 26, 2025. (Provided by Department of Justice)
Last month, Lakanwal made his first appearance in court, months after the Washington, D.C., shooting. He was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and was in a wheelchair.
On November 26, Lakanwal allegedly drove his Toyota Prius from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to the District of Columbia while in possession of a stolen firearm, according to court records.
Prosecutors said he opened fire on West Virginia National Guard members, striking Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head. Two nearby National Guard members then subdued Lakanwal at the scene, officials said.
West Virginia National Guard Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe is presented with the Purple Heart by Major General James Seward as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Investigators reportedly recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023.
Officials said Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thanksgiving, while Wolfe continues to recover from his injuries.
Beckstrom was posthumously awarded the West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal, while Wolfe was recently given the “Freedom 250: Hometown Hero Award.” Both of them were awarded the Purple Heart by President Donald Trump in February.
