Afghan Suspect in Deadly Shooting of National Guard Members Faces First-Degree Murder Charge

The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House—killing one—will face first-degree murder charges, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. Authorities say 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal ambushed West Virginia National Guard soldiers Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Beckstrom died from her injuries Thursday, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.

Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 under President Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, which resettled tens of thousands of Afghans who assisted U.S. forces during the Afghanistan conflict. Officials stated he previously served in a CIA-backed Afghan unit. Although he arrived during the Biden administration, Lakanwal was granted asylum under President Donald Trump earlier this year.

The shooting immediately fueled political tensions, prompting Trump to call the attack an act of terrorism and intensify his criticism of U.S. immigration policy. In several social media posts, Trump vowed to halt migration from what he described as “Third World Countries,” terminate what he labeled “Biden illegal admissions,” and reassess immigration benefits. The Department of Homeland Security later pointed to 19 countries listed under a recent travel ban as the implied targets of Trump’s comments.

Following the attack, Trump officials launched sweeping reviews of asylum approvals and green cards issued to nationals of those countries, including Afghanistan. Legal experts, however, emphasized that permanent immigration changes require congressional action, not executive authority.

Authorities say Lakanwal traveled from Washington state, where he lived with his wife and five children, before carrying out the attack with a .357 Magnum revolver. Homeland Security officials and international organizations, including the United Nations, urged the U.S. not to use the incident to justify broad restrictions on asylum seekers. Experts warn that freezing Afghan applications or revoking humanitarian protections could harm families and communities, stressing that research shows no link between refugee resettlement and increased crime.