National Guard shooting suspect to face first-degree murder charge, Jeanine Pirro says
National Guard shooting suspect charged with first-degree murder
- Rahmanullah Lakanwal, accused of shooting two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., will face a first-degree murder charge following the death of service member Sarah Beckstrom.
- U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the upgraded charge, stating that many more charges are expected against Lakanwal, who was wounded and is currently hospitalised.
- Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is believed to have ambushed the soldiers near the White House, with the incident being investigated as an act of terrorism.
- President Donald Trump confirmed Beckstrom's death and used the shooting to criticise immigration policies and the Afghanistan withdrawal, halting immigration requests for Afghan nationals.
- The accused, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021 and was granted asylum in April 2025, previously worked with the U.S. government as part of a partner force in Kandahar.