The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members just blocks from the White House last week was formally charged on Tuesday with murder and other crimes.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill, one count of murder, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Lakanwal attended the hearing at Washington D.C. Superior Court remotely from a hospital bed. He was seen lying down with eyes closed and appeared to be in pain.
Lakanwal’s defense attorney said that his client pleads not guilty to all charges.
At one point during the hearing, Lakanwal said through his interpreter, “I cannot open my eyes. I have pain in my…” D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond cut him off at that point, and his defense attorney said he didn’t want Lakanwal to say anything.
Raymond ruled Lakanwal to be held in custody without bond pending further court actions.
U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to the prosecution of Lakanwal in a press gaggle Tuesday afternoon.
“We are pursuing everything. There is nothing off the table right now,” said Pirro. “This is an individual about whom we don’t know a lot, but we will, trust me.”
The brazen daytime shooting unfolded Nov. 26 near Farragut West Station, less than a mile from the White House.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was wounded and continues to fight for his life. U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Department of Justice intends to seek the death penalty.
Lakanwal, who authorities said was shot during the confrontation, was hospitalized.
The shooting stunned Washington and raised new questions about vetting those entering the country.
Lakanwal had legally entered the U.S. in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration’s Afghan evacuation and resettlement program.
He had his asylum application approved in April 2025 under the Trump administration, the non-profit group said.
He had served in Afghanistan with NDS-03, an elite unit operated by the CIA with direct U.S. intelligence and military support, according to Afghan Evac, a non-profit that works with Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas (SIV).
The Afghan members of these units were highly vetted and trained by the CIA and carried out some of the toughest counterterrorism missions against the Taliban, al Qaeda and others. They were very trusted and brave, according to those who worked with them.
Advocates working with Afghan evacuees said some former members of those units carried deep trauma from years of conflict, though it remains unclear whether that history played a role in Lakanwal’s behavior in the U.S.
