National Guardsmen shooting suspect's case moved to federal court, where death penalty can be weighed

Friday, December 26, 2025 -The suspect accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member and critically injuring another near the White House in late November has now had his case transferred from local to federal court, enabling prosecutors to consider the death penalty as part of potential punishment. 

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that the move to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia allows for the “serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here,” a step not possible in D.C. Superior Court, which does not allow capital punishment.

The suspect, 29‑year‑old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, now faces new federal firearms charges, including transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit an offense and transporting a stolen firearm, in addition to existing violent charges. 

He previously pleaded not guilty to first‑degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence under D.C. law. Federal prosecutors say Lakanwal drove from Washington state to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26 and opened fire in an “ambush‑style” attack on two West Virginia National Guard members on patrol.

In the attack, Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was seriously wounded and remains in recovery. The deadly incident has drawn intense scrutiny from federal authorities, with the death penalty now on the table as part of the broader legal strategy. 

Officials have scheduled upcoming court proceedings, and as the case moves forward in federal court, legal teams and observers are watching closely for developments in how prosecutors pursue the most severe available penalties under U.S. law.