Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national accused in the assassination-style murder attempt on two National Guard troops in late November in Washington, D.C., was hit with federal first-degree murder charges on Tuesday. Unfortunately, one of the two victims perished as a result of the attack.
Now he could face the death penalty, according to the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors also alleged that the Afghan refugee tried to buy even more guns before his attack on American troops on Nov. 26.
The criminal complaint, filed in DC US District Court, brought the gun-related, assault and murder counts against the 29-year-old father of five for the shooting of West Virginia National Guard soldiers Sarah Beckstrom, who later died, and Andrew Wolfe, who is still recovering from his wounds.
Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, said the case is transferred from Superior Court to the District Court in an escalation of possible consequences for the alleged shooter.
The transfer of the Rahmanullah Lakanwal 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.
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) December 24, 2025
Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was…
Pirro wrote:
"The transfer of the Rahmanullah Lakanwal 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.
"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."
READ MORE: Judge in D.C. National Guardsmen Shooting Case Has Bad News for Suspect at Arraignment
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Prosecutors also said the suspect tried to buy even more guns before his twisted shooting spree.
The FBI revealed that Lakanwal purchased a stolen .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver for the shooting about two weeks before he drove across the country from his home in Bellingham, Wash.
On Oct. 15, he also contacted an individual to “find” even more firearms for him — including an AR-15 rifle and a stockless, AK-47-style “Draco” pistol — but only ended up being able to get his hands on a revolver, the affidavit alleged.
It had previously been reported stolen from a home in Washington state.
Afghan DC National Guard shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal faces death penalty after feds file new charges https://t.co/yb6pyqtsIw pic.twitter.com/E1JNxA0tx8
— New York Post (@nypost) December 24, 2025
Lakanwal had already been charged in a Washington, D.C., Superior Court with numerous charges, including murder, and had pleaded not guilty to all of them. He is next due in court for those counts on January 2.
But this move by the DOJ ups the ante and could lead to the death penalty. He’s certainly deserving:
Lakanwal is accused of shooting Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, both members of the West Virginia National Guard who had been deployed to the nation's capital, in an ambush-style attack on Nov. 26. Beckstrom, 20, was shot in the head and died from her wounds the next day.
Wolfe, 24, was also shot in the head and critically wounded. As of earlier this month, he was able to breathe on his own and could stand with assistance. His medical team said on Dec. 12 that he was ready to transition from acute care to inpatient rehabilitation, noting in a statement that he had made "extraordinary progress."
I'm thinking of them over this Christmas holiday.
This article has been updated for clarity.
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