Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was accused of targeting and shooting National Guard troops in downtown Washington, D.C., pleaded not guilty to all charges in the 17-count federal indictment.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national, is accused of fatally shooting West Virginia Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in an attack just blocks away from the White House on Nov. 26, 2025.
Lakanwal, 29, pleaded not guilty to eight new federal charges: murder of a person assisting a federal officer, three counts of attempted murder of a person assisting a federal officer, discharge of a firearm causing death, and three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Six of the new counts carry the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted, though Department of Justice attorneys have not said whether they will seek capital punishment.
He was separately charged with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony and transporting a stolen firearm across state lines.
Lakanwal remains charged under the D.C. 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. He had previously pleaded not guilty to an earlier set of nine charges, including first-degree murder and related weapons offenses, in December.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in December. “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.”
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Lakanwal allegedly drove a Toyota Prius from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., while in possession of a stolen firearm. Prosecutors say that on Nov. 26, 2025, at about 2:13 p.m., he opened fire without provocation at 17th and I Streets NW, near Farragut Square, striking Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head. Two Army National Guard majors who were nearby intervened and subdued him at the scene.
The next status hearing is scheduled for Sept. 16.
This is a breaking news story and has been updated.
