Afghan Suspect Charged With Murder Over US National Guard Shooting Expected To Survive

Last Updated:November 29, 2025, 22:02 IST

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was charged with first-degree murder after one of the two Guard troops he shot near the White House on Wednesday died.

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom (R) of the US Guard died after Rahmanullah Lakanwal (L) opened fire near the White House on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan suspect in the deadly shooting of two Guard members in Washington, DC, is expected to survive from his own injuries after he was shot and taken into custody.

“I think the guy’s going to live. Nobody’s going to be able to say anything, and he’s going to stand trial," a law enforcement official told the New York Post. “I know that he underwent surgery the night it happened."

Charges against Lakanwal have been upgraded to first-degree murder after he shot Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, near the White House on Wednesday. Beckstrom succumbed to her wounds on Thursday, announced US President Donald Trump.

Suspect Faces First-Degree Murder Charge

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said the charges against Lakanwal, 29, who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War, now include one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. She said there are “many charges to come" beyond the upgraded murder charge.

A spokesperson for Joint Task Force DC, which oversees the deployment, said Saturday there were no updates on the second Guard member, Andrew Wolfe, who was also hospitalised in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration on Friday said it is halting all asylum decisions and has also paused issuing visas for people travelling on Afghan passports. Trump called the shooting a “terrorist attack" and criticised the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with US forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the country.

Trump said he wants to “permanently pause migration" from third world nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country. US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said all asylum decisions will be paused “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."

Who Is Rahmanullah Lakanwal?

Lakanwal was reportedly resettled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children after arriving as part of the federal programme established by the Biden administration following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Authorities believe he acted alone, and as yet, no motive has been identified.

He previously served in a CIA-backed Afghan Army unit, known as one of the special Zero Units, in the southern province of Kandahar, a resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin told The Associated Press. He said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that his brother had worked in the unit as well.

Reports said Lakanwal had waited near the Farragut West Metro Station before launching the attack at around 2:15 pm local time. He allegedly rounded the corner and opened fire at close range, first striking a female Guard member in the chest and then shooting her in the head. He then reportedly turned his weapon on the second guard, firing multiple rounds until a third guard stationed nearby intervened and brought him down.

The Afghan suspect was shot four times during the confrontation with the third guard. Witnesses said he was taken away almost unclothed as emergency responders worked to stabilise him before transporting him to the hospital. Investigators continue to review his background as they work to understand what led to the attack.

News world Afghan Suspect Charged With Murder Over US Guard Shooting Expected To Survive

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