The suspect in the “targeted” shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., will now face charges upgraded to first-degree murder after President Donald Trump announced the death of one of the victims Thursday night, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Friday.
“There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges from assault to first-degree murder,” Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News’ “Fox.” & Friends.”
The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was previously charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and criminal possession of a weapon, officials said during a news conference Thursday.
National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe.
US Department of Justice
Lakanwal is accused of shooting two National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, on Wednesday afternoon.
The suspect allegedly “opened fire without provocation, ambush style,” punching one of the victims, leaning over and shooting him again, before shooting the other National Guard member “several times,” Pirro said Thursday.
Video obtained by The Wall Street Journal shows the moment of the shooting. The footage briefly shows Lakanwal brandishing a gun before running off camera. In the video you can also see a member of the National Guard running and reloading his weapon.
Video obtained by The Wall Street Journal shows the moment Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire on two members of the National Guard in Washington, DC, on November 26, 2025.
Obtained by The Wall Street Journal
Trump announced Thursday night that Beckstrom, an Army specialist, had died.
“She just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking at us right now,” Trump said of Beckstrom. “Her parents are with her. It just happened.”
U.S. service members line the streets of Washington, DC, during an honor escort, also known as a fallen soldiers’ procession, for the U.S. Army soldier. Sarah Beckstrom of the West Virginia National Guard, November 27, 2025.
Billy Blankenship/DC Joint Task Force
United States Air Force Sergeant Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition.
“The other young man is fighting for his life,” Trump said. “He’s in very bad shape. He’s fighting for his life.”
The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday near the Farragut West subway station.
Pirro said the suspect, an Afghan national, allegedly drove from Washington state to attack guard members and opened fire with a .357 Smith. & Wesson revolver.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
US Department of Justice
According to authorities, the suspect’s motive is still unclear.
A search warrant was conducted at the suspect’s home in Bellingham, Washington, where officials found “numerous electronic devices,” FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday.
Patel also noted that the FBI received confirmation from the Department of Defense and the CIA “that the subject had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces.”
FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a press conference with DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro and other authorities regarding the shooting of two members of the National Guard, in Washington, DC, on November 27, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
“We are thoroughly investigating that aspect of his background as well, to include any known associates who are overseas or here in the United States of America,” Patel said.
Lakanwal is believed to be from Afghanistan and arrived in the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, law enforcement sources said. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April, likely after being vetted, under the Trump administration, according to sources.
A makeshift memorial was set up to honor the two National Guard service members shot near the Farragut West Metro Station in Washington, DC, on November 28, 2025, two days after a shooting killed one National Guard member and critically injured another.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s federal takeover of the city and crime crackdown in August. As of the most recent update, there were 2,188 National Guard troops assigned to D.C.
People place flowers at a makeshift memorial created after two National Guard members were shot, near the White House, in Washington, DC, on November 28, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
A day before the shooting, during the traditional turkey pardon at the White House, Trump touted his administration’s takeover of the streets of DC. He said it was “one of the most unsafe places in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city.”
“You could walk down any street in Washington and you’ll be fine. And I want to thank the National Guard. I want to thank them for the job they’ve done here, which is incredible,” Trump said at the event.
