US National Guard Shooting Suspect to Face First-Degree Murder Charges

An Afghan national accused of shooting two US National Guard members in Washington, DC, will be charged with first-degree murder, authorities confirmed Friday. The attack, which occurred just blocks from the White House on Wednesday, left one Guardswoman dead and another critically injured.

Attack Raises Security and Immigration Concerns

The US attorney for Washington, DC, Jeanine Pirro, identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, described by US media as a member of the “Zero Units,” a CIA-backed counterterrorism group. Pirro said the attack was premeditated. “There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn’t know what was coming,” she stated, noting that additional charges are expected.

President Donald Trump confirmed that 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a West Virginia National Guard member deployed to the capital, died from her injuries. The other soldier, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition. Authorities have said they are providing full support to his family.

The shooting reportedly took place with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, and Lakanwal had traveled from the western state of Washington to the capital. The incident comes amid heightened debate over domestic military deployment, immigration policies, and US involvement in Afghanistan.

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Trump has since pledged to tighten migration from what he described as “third-world countries” and warned of potential reversals of asylum admissions granted under former President Joe Biden. Security officials have emphasized that Lakanwal’s access to the US was granted under existing asylum procedures following the chaotic Afghan evacuation in 2021, though AfghanEvac, the organization that helped resettle Afghans, said the suspect underwent extensive vetting.

The attack has intensified scrutiny over domestic security measures and immigration controls, highlighting the challenges faced by US authorities in balancing humanitarian resettlement programs with national security.

Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, CIA, and Department of Homeland Security, continue to investigate the shooting and any potential links to extremist activity. The case is expected to dominate legal and political discussions in the coming weeks, particularly as authorities prepare to formally charge Lakanwal with murder.