New charges against DC National Guard shooting suspect open death penalty door

The Afghan national accused in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was hit with new federal charges that open the door for the death penalty. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announced that Rahmanullah Lakanwal was charged with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to commit an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year and with transporting a stolen firearm in interstate commerce. Sarah Beckstrom was killed in the Nov. 26 attack, while Andrew Wolfe was left seriously injured. 

"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 a statement. 

"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," she added. "Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery."

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The U.S. Attorney's Office said Lakanwal also "remains charged 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, in violation of the D.C. Code." 

In an affidavit released this week, an FBI special agent wrote that the weapon Lakanwal allegedly used in the shooting was a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that was stolen from a home in in Seattle in May 2023. 

The agent said the individual who provided the weapon to Lakanwal on Nov. 14 at his home in Bellingham told investigators "that he gave the firearm to Lakanwal because he believed Lakanwal wanted it for personal protection while working as a rideshare driver." 

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The day after obtaining the revolver, Lakanwal purchased a box of additional .357 caliber ammunition from a sporting goods store in Bellingham, the affidavit continued.

"Additionally, legal process reveals that on November 15, 2025, approximately two hours after he purchased the ammunition, Lakanwal searched 'Washington, D.C.' in Google Maps," the FBI special agent also wrote in the affidavit. "The next day, Lakanwal searched 'The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500' in Google Maps. Of note, the shooting committed by Lakanwal on November 26, 2025, occurred in Washington, D.C., approximately two blocks from the White House." 

Attorney General Pam Bondi previously has said the Department of Justice intends to seek the death penalty against Lakanwal.