The suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members Wednesday in D.C. is now facing a first-degree murder charge, following the death of one of the members.
Timothy Lauer, the director of external affairs for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., confirmed the updated charge Friday to WTOP.
Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after both were wounded in a shooting near the White House. Trump told troops Thursday that Beckstrom had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”
The first-degree murder charge against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is in addition to three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed.
Lauer said Lakanwal will officially be presented with the charges once he is released from hospital.
U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal drove across the country to D.C. to carry out the attack.
It was “ambush-style” with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, according to Pirro.
Wolfe, a West Virginia National Guard member, remains in critical condition.
Pirro told Fox News that they are “doing everything we can to assist his family and to make sure that they have everything they need during this difficult time for them,” in regards to Wolfe’s condition.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.
He applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.
In August, Trump issued an executive order that deployed National Guard troops to D.C. in an operation he said would target crime.
Shortly after Wednesday’s shooting, Trump said he would send 500 more National Guard troops to D.C.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest details. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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