The charges against a 29-year-old former CIA collaborator in Afghanistan have been elevated following the tragic death of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.
WASHINGTON — In a significant development, the individual accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers now faces a first-degree murder charge after one of the victims succumbed to her injuries. This announcement was made on Friday by the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
After sustaining critical injuries in a Wednesday afternoon shooting, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, aged 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, aged 24, were hospitalized. It was revealed Thursday evening that Beckstrom had tragically passed away.
The office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed that Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who had previously collaborated with the CIA during the Afghanistan conflict, is now facing enhanced charges. These include one count of first-degree murder, three counts of possessing a firearm during a violent crime, and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.
President Donald Trump described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for allowing Afghan collaborators into the U.S. in the aftermath of the Afghanistan War. In response to the shooting, administration officials have vowed to reassess the vetting of millions of legal immigrants.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe were stationed in the nation’s capital with the West Virginia National Guard as part of Trump’s initiative to bolster the D.C. police force in his crime-fighting strategy. The president has also dispatched National Guard troops to cities led by Democrats, such as Chicago and Los Angeles, to support his broader deportation plans.
In an interview on Fox News, Pirro said there are “many charges to come” beyond the upgraded murder charge. She said her heart goes out to the family of Beckstrom, who volunteered to serve and “ended up being shot ambush-style on the cold streets of Washington, D.C., by an individual who will now be charged with murder in the first degree.”
Pirro declined to discuss the suspect’s motive, saying officials have been working around the clock on that question. Investigators are continuing to execute warrants in the state of Washington, where Lakanwal lived, and other parts of the country, she said.
Wolfe remains in “very critical condition,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Friday. He ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death
“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” Morrisey said. “Their courage and commitment to duty represent the very best of our state.”
Lakanwal entered the US in 2021
People who knew Lakanwal say he served in a CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before immigrating to the United States. Lakanwal worked in one of the special Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar, according to a resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin. He said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that his brother had worked in the unit as well.
The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012 and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal’s brother was a platoon leader.
Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA that also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.
Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.
In his address to the troops Thursday, Trump said that Lakanwal “went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts.”
The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.” The White House said he spoke to her parents after his remarks.
Beckstrom ‘exemplified leadership, dedication, and professionalism’
Beckstrom had enlisted in 2023, the same year she graduated high school, and served with distinction as a military police officer with the 863rd Military Police Company, the West Virginia National Guard said in a statement.
“She exemplified leadership, dedication, and professionalism,” the statement said, adding that Beckstrom “volunteered to serve as part of Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful, helping to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s capital.”
The Biden administration initiative for Afghans who worked with U.S. forces brought roughly 76,000 people to the country, many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators.
It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
On Wednesday night, Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration. The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Joseph Edlow said in a statement that the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 “high-risk” countries “to the maximum degree possible.”
Edlow didn’t name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.
Associated Press journalists Sarah Brumfield, Siddiqullah Alizai and Elena Becatoros contributed to this report.
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