The suspect in the National Guard shooting faces a charge of first-degree murder

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia announced Friday.

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was taken to hospital in critical condition after the shooting Wednesday afternoon near the White House. Trump announced Thursday evening Beckstrom’s death.

He watches: Investigation into National Guard shooting reveals suspect works for CIA in Afghanistan

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said charges against Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan war, now include one count of first-degree murder, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

Beckstrom Wolf deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-crime mission that led to the consolidation of the D.C. police force. The president has also deployed or attempted to deploy National Guard members to other cities to assist in mass deportation efforts, but has faced challenges in court.

Trump called the shooting a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with US forces during the Afghanistan war to enter the United States. The president said he wanted to “permanently stop immigration” from poor countries and expel millions of immigrants from the country.

He watches: Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to US cities is receiving renewed scrutiny

In an interview with Fox News, Pirro said there are “several charges coming” other than the updated murder charge. She said her heart goes out to the family of Beckstrom, who volunteered to serve and “ended up being shot ambush-style in the cold streets of Washington, D.C., by someone who will now be charged with first-degree murder.”

Pirro declined to discuss the suspect’s motives, saying officials were working around the clock on the question. She added that investigators continue to execute arrest warrants in Washington state, where Lakanwal lives, and other parts of the country.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Friday that Wolf remained in “extremely critical condition.” He ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” Morrissey said. “Their courage and commitment to duty represent the best of our state.”

Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021

Officials said Lakhanwal entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Welcoming Allies, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from the country. #AfghanEvac said in a statement that Lakhanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration.

Lakanwal lives in Bellingham, Washington, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Christina Weidman.

Read more: Trump says he wants to “permanently pause” immigration into the United States from poor countries

Lakanwal briefly worked as an independent contractor for Amazon Flex, which allows people to use their own cars to deliver packages, a company spokesperson told The Associated Press. Lakanwal delivered packages from the end of July to the end of August and has not been active since then.

Mohammad Sherzad, one of Lakanwal’s neighbors in Bellingham, told the AP in a phone interview Friday that Lakanwal was polite and quiet and spoke little English.

Sherzad said he attended the same mosque as Lakkanwal and heard from other members that Lakkanwal was struggling to find work. Sherzad said some of his children attended the same school as Lakhanwal’s children.

“He was very calm and the children were very polite and very playful,” Shirzad said. “But we didn’t see anything bad about him. He seemed fine.” Shirzad said Lakhanwal “disappeared” about two weeks ago.

In his address to the troops on Thursday, Trump said Lakhanwal “went crazy. I mean, he went crazy.”

People who know Lakhanwal say he served in a CIA-backed Afghan army unit before immigrating to the United States. Lakanwal worked in one of the special zero units in the southern province of Kandahar, according to a resident of Khost province in eastern Afghanistan who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin. He said Lakanwal was originally from the district and his brother also worked in the unit.

The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. He said Lakanwal started working as a security guard for the unit in 2012 and was later promoted to become a team leader and GPS specialist. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal’s brother was a platoon commander.

Zero units are Afghan-run but CIA-supported paramilitary units that also served in front-line combat with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists attributed the violations to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic US withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans withdrew from the country.

Beckstrom “embodies leadership, dedication and professionalism”

Beckstrom enlisted in 2023, the same year she graduated from high school, and served with distinction as a military police officer in the 863rd Military Police Company, the West Virginia National Guard said in a statement.

“She exemplified leadership, dedication and professionalism,” the statement read, adding that Beckstrom “volunteered to serve as part of Operation DC Safe and Beautiful, to help ensure the safety and security of our nation’s capital.”

The president described Beckstrom as “a wonderful person who excels in every way.”

On Wednesday evening, Trump called for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under a Biden administration initiative that brought nearly 76,000 people to the country, many of whom worked as interpreters.

The program has faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of loopholes in the vetting process, even as advocates say there has been widespread vetting and that the program has provided a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban retaliation.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said in a statement that the agency will take additional steps to screen people from 19 “high-risk” countries “to the greatest extent possible.”

Edlo did not mention the names of the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the United States by citizens of 12 countries, and restricted access from seven other countries, citing national security concerns.

Associated Press journalists Sarah Brumfield, Siddiqullah Alizai, Elena Pikatoros and Randy Herschaft contributed to this report.