On Tuesday, the suspect being held for the terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C., the day before Thanksgiving on the WV National Guardsmen, faced the charges against him during a virtual appearance in a District of Columbia courtroom. The judge for his arraignment dropped some bad news on him about how likely he might be to overcome those charges.
As RedState previously wrote, the alleged shooter faces one count of first-degree murder; assault with intent to kill while armed; possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, after killing 20-year-old Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe.
SEE: (Updated) Breaking: Two NG Members Shot in Terror Attack Near WH, Now Reported in Critical Condition
Update: New Details Revealed As Officials Hold Morning Presser on D.C. National Guard Shooting
The 29-year-old man, who remains in the hospital after being shot in the process of being subdued by authorities, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was refused bond:
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.
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He pleaded not guilty to all counts. A judged ordered Lakanwal held without bond.
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But what was striking in the reporting on the arraignment hearing was the forthright comments of the judge on the strength of the government's case against him, considering the fact that one of the parts of the filing was screenshots of video showing the alleged terror attack:
Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond noted that 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 governments case."
It is also confirmed in the charging documents that the suspect allegedly shouted, "Allahu akbar!" something that was floating around as a rumor in the hours following the heinous attacks. He attempted to reload his weapon, but was taken into custody before he could.
We learned the latest on the condition of someone else laid up in a hospital bed on Tuesday, Andrew Wolfe, with Attorney General Pam Bondi's remarks to President Trump during a media-covered Cabinet meeting, as my colleague Katie Jerkovich wrote. Bondi said his parents passed along the message that "He's doing well. His parents, Jason and Melody, wanted me to tell you, and I was with them yesterday in the hospital. He's a miracle." The attorney general asked for all Americans to "continue to pray" for his family, and that "he's got a long road ahead of him."
Thankfully, Wolfe has been upgraded to serious condition, something West Virginia's governor confirmed in some much welcome positive news on the servicemember on Monday:
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.
This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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