The suspect in the National Guard shooting faces new federal charges that allow the death penalty to be discussed

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers near the White House has been indicted in a complaint on federal firearms charges in connection with the Nov. 26 ambush that left one West Virginia National Guard member fatally wounded and a second critically injured.

Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, 29, was charged with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to commit an indictable offense for more than a year. He was also charged federally with transporting a stolen firearm in interstate commerce.

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“Transferring this case from the Supreme Court to the District Court ensures that we can conduct the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine whether the death penalty is appropriate here,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Sarah Beckstrom was only 20 years old when she was murdered, and her parents are now having to endure the holiday season without their daughter. By the grace of God, Andrew Wolf has survived, but he has a long road to recovery ahead of him.”

Lakanwal remains charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in the shooting that killed Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Wolfe, 24, in violation of D.C. law. Lakanwal, who was shot during the confrontation, has pleaded not guilty to the D.C. charges.

There is no death penalty in D.C. Superior Court.

Beckstrom and Wolf were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for President Donald Trump’s law enforcement boost in the nation’s capital, which has flooded the city with federal agents and troops since August. Lakanwal is accused of driving from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C. while in possession of a stolen firearm and ambushing the two Guard members outside a subway station three blocks from the White House.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Lucknow, an Afghan national, worked with the US government, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force” in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Lakhanwal, 29, entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Welcome Allies, officials said. The Biden administration’s program evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from the country.

Lakhanwal’s lawyer could not be reached for immediate comment.