Suspect charged in D.C. National Guard shooting
The Department of Justice this week identified the suspect involved in the November 26 shooting in Washington, D.C., as an Afghan national
by Summer Lane | December 26, 2025
The suspected shooter who severely wounded 24-year-old Air Guard Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and killed 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom in a vicious ambush-style shooting in Washington, D.C., last month has been federally charged.
The alleged shooter, identified by the Department of Justice as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is a 29-year-old Afghan national who was living in Bellingham, Washington.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the charges this week.
“The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here,” Pirro said in a statement.
She continued, “Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was killed and her parents are now forced to endure the holiday season without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery.”
Lakanwal was charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was also charged with transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to commit an offense, as well as transporting a stolen firearm.
According to the DOJ, Lakanwal allegedly drove his vehicle, a Toyota Prius, from Bellingham to D.C. while in possession of the stolen firearm. At nearly 2:15 p.m. on the afternoon of November 26, he allegedly opened fire near the Farragut West Metro Station in D.C., shooting Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head.
Beckstrom sadly died on Thanksgiving Day, just one day after the shooting. Wolfe was critically injured and continues to recover today. According to a recent update from Wolfe’s parents and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Wolfe is still alive but will begin “a long and tough rehabilitation.”
Photo: Adobe Stock
