Department of Justice attorneys said during a Wednesday hearing in federal court that a final decision will be made by May as to what kind of death penalty charges could be pursued for the suspect accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in the nation’s capital, killing one and seriously wounding the other.
The accused, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, appeared before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta for an arraignment hearing, where he pleaded not guilty to all nine federal charges.
His next court hearing is May 6 in the District Court for the District of Columbia, where it was moved from the local court.
Attorney General Pam Bondi had said shortly after the incident in an interview with Fox News that DOJ would seek the death penalty if either guard member died of their injuries.
Thanksgiving eve shooting blocks from White House
The shooting in Washington, D.C., took place on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, blocks away from the White House.
U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died as a result of her injuries, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was severely wounded but recovered.
A U.S. marshal officer pushed Lakanwal into the courtroom. He is using a wheelchair because he was also shot in the Nov. 26 shooting. Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States in September 2021, was later granted asylum.
The hearing was somewhat delayed because Lakanwal could not hear his translator in his headphones.
Charges against Lakanwal
After the shooting, FBI Director Kash Patel, a Metropolitan Police Department leader and Mayor Muriel Bowser said the shooting was “targeted.” In initial charges from December, officials alleged that Lakanwal drove from his residence in Washington state to the district.
He is charged with first-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed.
He is also charged with transportation of a firearm and ammunition with the intent to commit a felony; four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; and two counts of assault with the intent to kill
Beckstrom and Wolfe were part of the 2,000 troops stationed in the district since last August, after President Donald Trump declared a “crime emergency.” The White House has said National Guard members will remain in the district until the end of the year.
