Afghan national charged in killing of US guardsman
Washington: The US authorities have filed federal charges against a 29-year-old Afghan national in connection with the shooting that killed National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Guardsman Andrew Wolfe in the nation’s capital.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who resided in Bellingham, Washington, was charged in a criminal complaint in US District Court with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony and with transporting a stolen firearm across state lines, according to an announcement by US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here,” Pirro said. “Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was killed, and her parents are now forced to endure the holiday season without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery.”
Lakanwal also remains charged under the District of Columbia Code with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Lakanwal allegedly drove his Toyota Prius from Washington State to the District of Columbia while in possession of a stolen firearm. Investigators say that on November 26, at about 2.13 p.m., he opened fire without provocation near the intersection of 17th and I Streets, NW, close to the Farragut West Metro Station.
Beckstrom and Wolfe, both in full National Guard uniform and on duty, were shot in the head during the attack. Two National Guard majors who were nearby returned fire and subdued the suspect, authorities said.
A .357 Smith & Wesson revolver recovered at the scene had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023, investigators said.
Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries the following day, Thanksgiving, November 27. Wolfe was critically injured in the ambush and survived.
An affidavit filed in support of the federal complaint outlines a series of events leading up to the shooting. Investigators say Lakanwal obtained the revolver through an intermediary who told authorities he believed the firearm was for personal protection. The weapon was fully loaded with five rounds at the time of the transfer, according to the affidavit.
The firearm was traced to a lawful purchase in Washington State in 2007. The original owner died in 2023, and the gun was later reported stolen.
Court records state that after acquiring the revolver, Lakanwal purchased additional ammunition at a sporting goods store in Bellingham on November 15. That same day, he searched “Washington, D.C.” on Google Maps, followed the next day by a search for “The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500.”
License plate reader data and cellphone location records cited in the affidavit show Lakanwal travelling east from Washington State through Idaho and Illinois before arriving in Washington days before the shooting.
Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows Lakanwal standing outside the Farragut West Metro station moments before the attack, then running toward the intersection and opening fire at the two guardsmen, the affidavit states.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were members of the West Virginia National Guard who had been deputised the day before the shooting as Special Deputy US Marshals to protect federal property and support law enforcement operations in the capital.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The federal charges come amid an expanded National Guard deployment in Washington, where Guard members have been assisting law enforcement in patrolling transit hubs, federal buildings, and downtown corridors following concerns over violent crime.