The Afghan national implicated in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., now faces additional federal charges, potentially leading to a death penalty case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has announced that Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of transporting a firearm across state lines with the intent to commit a serious offense and of moving a stolen firearm across state boundaries. The tragic incident on November 26 resulted in the death of Sarah Beckstrom and left Andrew Wolfe with severe injuries.
“By transferring this case from Superior Court to District Court, we are positioned to conduct the thorough and careful evaluation needed to decide if pursuing the death penalty is justified,” stated U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
She further noted, “Sarah Beckstrom was only 20 when her life was taken, leaving her family to face the holiday season in her absence. Andrew Wolfe was fortunate to survive, but faces a challenging recovery journey.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has identified the weapon allegedly used by Lakanwal as a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver in the November 26, 2025, attack on the National Guard members.
Additionally, Lakanwal continues to face charges of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of firearm possession during a violent crime, as specified by the D.C. Code.
In an affidavit released this week, an FBI special agent wrote that the weapon Lakanwal allegedly used in the shooting was a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that was stolen from a home in in Seattle in May 2023.
The agent said the individual who provided the weapon to Lakanwal on Nov. 14 at his home in Bellingham told investigators “that he gave the firearm to Lakanwal because he believed Lakanwal wanted it for personal protection while working as a rideshare driver.”
National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot in Washington, D.C., in late November. (United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The day after obtaining the revolver, Lakanwal purchased a box of additional .357 caliber ammunition from a sporting goods store in Bellingham, the affidavit continued.
“Additionally, legal process reveals that on November 15, 2025, approximately two hours after he purchased the ammunition, Lakanwal searched ‘Washington, D.C.’ in Google Maps,” the FBI special agent also wrote in the affidavit. “The next day, Lakanwal searched ‘The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500’ in Google Maps. Of note, the shooting committed by Lakanwal on November 26, 2025, occurred in Washington, D.C., approximately two blocks from the White House.”
This image captures the dignified transfer of U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, at the Dodd and Reed Funeral Home in her hometown of Webster Springs, W. Va., Dec. 9, 2025. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Edwin L. Wriston)
Attorney General Pam Bondi previously has said the Department of Justice intends to seek the death penalty against Lakanwal.
