Death penalty possible in White House National Guard shooting case

An Afghan national accused of killing a West Virginia National Guard member and wounding three others near the White House last year has been indicted on new charges that could make him eligible for the death penalty, according to federal prosecutors.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 30, was charged Tuesday in a 17-count superseding indictment in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The case stems from the November 26 ambush shooting near 17th and I Streets NW, close to the Farragut West Metro Station and several blocks from the White House. Prosecutors said Lakanwal opened fire without provocation, shooting Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in the head.

Beckstrom, 20, who was serving in the West Virginia National Guard, died the next day, on Thanksgiving. Wolfe, 25, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was seriously injured and continues to recover, prosecutors said. Two other Guardsmen were also wounded.

Prosecutors said the superseding indictment includes charges tied to Beckstrom’s murder that are eligible for the death penalty. The grand jury also returned special findings that will trigger a review by the Justice Department’s Capital Case Committee, which will determine whether prosecutors will seek a death sentence.

Prosecutors said Lakanwal drove a Toyota Prius from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., while carrying a stolen firearm. Investigators recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver at the scene that had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023.

Two nearby National Guard officers subdued Lakanwal after the shooting, according to court documents.

Lakanwal remains charged with 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 under the D.C. Code.

“Sarah Beckstrom was 20 years old, serving her country in the nation’s capital, when Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly drove across the country and executed her in cold blood steps from the White House,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said. “We will pursue every penalty the law permits as we seek justice for Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe.”