Accused Nat’l Guard Shooter Hit With Federal Murder Charge; US Atty Pirro Says Death Penalty Possible – RedState
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national accused of the assassination-style killings of two National Guard soldiers in late November in Washington, D.C., was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder by the federal government.
He now faces the death penalty, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors also alleged that the Afghan refugee tried to buy even more weapons before his Nov. 26 attack on U.S. troops.
The criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in D.C., focused on gun, assault and murder charges against the 29-year-old father of five for the shootings of West Virginia National Guard soldiers Sarah Beckstrom, who later died, and Andrew Wolfe, who is still recovering from his injuries.
Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said the case is being moved from Superior Court to District Court, representing an escalation of possible consequences for the alleged shooter.
The transfer of Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and thorough analysis required to determine whether the death penalty is appropriate in this case.
Sarah Beckstrom was only 20 years old when she…
– Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) December 24, 2025
Pirro wrote:
“Transferring the Rahmanullah Lakanwal case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate and thorough analysis required to determine whether the death penalty is appropriate in this case.
“Sarah Beckstrom was only 20 years old when she was killed and her parents are now forced to endure the holidays without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road to recovery.”
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Prosecutors also said the suspect tried to buy even more guns before his twisted shooting.
The FBI revealed that Lakanwal purchased a stolen Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver for the shooting about two weeks before driving across the country from his home in Bellingham, Washington.
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 was ultimately only able to get his hands on a revolver, according to the affidavit.
It had previously been reported stolen from a home in Washington state.
DC Afghan 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 previously been indicted in a Washington, D.C. Superior Court on numerous charges, including murder, and had pleaded not guilty to all. He will next appear in court on these charges on January 2.
But this DOJ decision ups the ante and could lead to the death penalty. He certainly deserves:
Lakanwal is accused of firing at Army CPS. 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, during an ambush-style attack on November 26. Beckstrom, 20, was shot in the head and died from her injuries the next day.
Wolfe, 24, was also shot in the head and seriously injured. At the start of the month, he was able to breathe on his own and stand with assistance. His medical team said Dec. 12 that he was ready to move from acute care to inpatient rehabilitation, noting in a statement that he had made “extraordinary progress.”
I think of them during these Christmas holidays.
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