By Gabe Whisnant
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An Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and assault charges, appearing remotely from a hospital bed for his first court hearing.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, spoke through an interpreter and told the judge he was in pain and unable to open his eyes. His court-appointed attorney entered the plea on his behalf during the brief proceeding in D.C. Superior Court.
When Were National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe shot?
Lakanwal is charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm in the Nov. 26 shooting that killed Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both soldiers were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement surge in the nation’s capital, an effort that has brought hundreds of federal agents and Guard members into the city since August.
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According to a police affidavit filed Tuesday, another Guard member heard gunfire and saw Beckstrom and Wolfe collapse as Lakanwal fired repeatedly while shouting “Allahu Akbar!” The report says Lakanwal then chased another soldier and continued shooting before troops were able to tackle him as he attempted to reload his weapon. Lakanwal was also shot during the confrontation.
Judge Renee Raymond ordered him held without bond, citing what she called the “sheer terror that resulted” from the attack. She said prosecutors had presented an “exceedingly strong” case and noted that Lakanwal, who lived in Washington state, appeared to have traveled across the country “with a specific purpose in mind.” A status hearing was set for Jan. 14.
Prosecutor Ariel Dean described the shooting as a “shocking crime” and said investigators believe Lakanwal moved through multiple parts of the city before approaching the Guard members in what authorities consider an ambush. Defense attorney Terrence Austin told the court that Lakanwal has no prior criminal history.
After the hearing, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal will be transferred to a correctional facility equipped to handle his medical needs once doctors clear him to leave the hospital.
The attack — a rare killing of National Guard personnel on U.S. soil — comes as the Trump administration faces legal and political battles over its expanded deployment of military forces to address what officials have described as a spiraling crime crisis in Washington.
Meanwhile, Trump has renewed his calls to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and deport millions of immigrants living in the country.
Who is Shooting Suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal?
Federal officials said Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration program that resettled Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal. He applied for asylum under Biden, but the advocacy group #AfghanEvac said his claim was approved after Trump took office.
The Associated Press reported that Lakanwal had been unraveling in the years since he came to the U.S. after previously working with U.S forces in Afghanistan, struggling to assimilate or hold down a steady job. The report cited emails sent by a community member, revealing concerns about Lakanwal’s mental health and behavior long before Wednesday’s shooting
What Was Lakanwal's Motive?
Authorities are continuing to work to find a motive.
Trump has called the shooting a “terrorist attack” and blamed the Biden administration for admitting Afghans who assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that officials believe Lakanwal “was radicalized since he’s been here in this country.”
She said: “We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state and we’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members.” Noem did not provide any further information to support the claim.
Updates: 12/2/25, 3:11 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Updates: 12/2/25, 4:33 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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