WASHINGTON — The man accused of shooting two National Guardsmen, killing one, made a virtual appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday to face a charge of first-degree murder.
Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was also shot, could be seen on a video feed laying down in a hospital bed. Officials allege that Lakanwal gunned down Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, last week while they were on patrol near the White House as part of their deployment to the nation's capital.
Lakanwal, 29, is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed; possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in addition to murder.
He pleaded not guilty to all counts. A judged ordered Lakanwal held without bond.
Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond said the government's case against Lakanwal was "exceedingly strong."
"That there’s video footage of him waiting in broad daylight while armed, and then upon seeing a contingent of law enforcement officers, including the slain and injured National Guard persons, he went in their direction, and he started shooting at them," Raymond said. "That goes again to the strength of the government's case."
Screenshots of video were including the charging documents filed Tuesday.
The documents also say that Lakanwal yelled "Allahu akbar!" ("God is great" in Arabic) as he fired and that he was subdued as he appeared to be reloading.
The prosecutor called it a “shocking crime” in the afternoon before Thanksgiving, adding that Lakanwal has “no ties to this city." Lakanwal did not appear to have his eyes open during the hearing, seeming to grimace in pain at various points with his covers pulled up to his chin.
Both guard members, who were serving in West Virginia’s National Guard, were shot in the head last Wednesday. Beckstrom died from her wounds, President Donald Trump told troops in a Thanksgiving Day call.
Wolfe remains in serious condition. But West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday that he had showed signs of improvement after giving nurses a “thumbs-up” and being able to wiggle his toes.
Authorities have not yet identified a motive for the shooting.
A relative of Lakanwal said he arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 after having served in the Afghan army for 10 years alongside U.S. Special Forces troops. He was living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children, the relative added.
The CIA confirmed that Lakanwal worked for the U.S. government as a member of a partner force in Kandahar. His service ended in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The charges were, at least initially, brought in D.C. Superior Court by federal prosecutors. Because of D.C.’s unique status, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia charges both federal and local crimes.
Bringing forth the charges in local superior court appeared to be a nod to the complicated legal questions surrounding the case and the question of whether the National Guard was lawfully deployed in the district.
Beckstrom, her ex-boyfriend told NBC News, aspired to be an FBI special agent. She initially "hated" her deployment to D.C., he said, which came about after Trump ordered a show-of-force in the District after a 19-year-old who was working for the Department of Government Efficiency was attacked by teens.
But Beckstrom came to love the district, her ex said, and ended up touring the city's monuments and museums, showing a particular interest in the United States Holocaust Museum.
After the shooting, Trump said that 500 more troops were coming to Washington, which will mean there will be roughly 2,700 National Guard troops in the city. The Joint Task Force District of Columbia (JTF-DC) oversees troops from D.C. as well as South Carolina, West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and South Dakota. They are expected to remain until at least the end of February.
Ryan J. Reilly and Gary Grumbach reported from Washington and Doha Madani from New York City.
