WASHINGTON D.C. (WVDN) – Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who resided in Bellingham, Washington, has been charged with first-degree murder while armed for the death of National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, as a result of the ambush-style shooting, which occurred the day before Thanksgiving, November 26, a few blocks from the White House, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Ms. Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries on November 27, 2025. National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe. 24, was critically injured in the ambush and remains hospitalized.
A D.C Superior Court judge today found probable cause that Lakanwal committed the offenses of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and ordered that Lakanwal be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing. Lakanwal, who was injured during the shooting, remains in a local hospital where he is currently being treated and held under guard.
According to court documents, Lakanwal drove from his hometown in the state of Washington to Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, November 26, Lakanwal arrived at about 2:13 p.m. at 17th and I Streets, NW, near Farragut West Metro Station, and opened fire on two National Guard members without provocation. Fellow guardsmen at the scene responded immediately to engage and subdue the suspect.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Ballentine, Ariel Dean, Christopher Tortorice, and Laura Bach, with special assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
