Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national residing in Bellingham, Washington, was charged today in Washington D.C. with first-degree murder while armed for the death of National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, who succumbed to injuries sustained in an ambush shooting on November 26, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Lakanwal is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with a D.C. Superior Court judge finding probable cause for the offenses and ordering him held without bond. Ms. Beckstrom, 20, died on November 27, 2025, following the ambush that also critically injured 24-year-old National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, who remains hospitalized. According to court documents, Lakanwal drove from Washington state to Washington D.C. and opened fire on the two National Guard members without provocation near Farragut West Metro Station on November 26, 2025, at approximately 2:13 p.m. Lakanwal, who was injured during the incident, is currently being treated under guard at a local hospital. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Ballentine, Ariel Dean, Christopher Tortorice, and Laura Bach, and special assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough. In unrelated news, USSOCOM Commander Adm. Bradley is scheduled to present his case in a classified setting on Thursday to Senators Wicker and Reed, and Representatives Mike Rogers and Adam Smith.
