The man accused of shooting two National Guard troops in Washington D.C. will now face a first-degree murder charge following the death of service member Sarah Beckstrom from West Virginia.
Charges Escalate as Investigation Deepens
United States Attorney Jeanine Pirro revealed the upgraded charge during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Friday morning, 28th November 2025. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old Afghan national at the centre of the case, now faces the more serious allegation as the investigation progresses.
"There are certainly many more charges to come," Ms Pirro stated, indicating that the legal proceedings against the suspect are far from complete. This announcement came just one day after she had disclosed that the Department of Justice would charge Lakanwal with assault with intent to kill while armed and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Terrorism Investigation Underway
Federal law enforcement officials have described the Wednesday afternoon shooting, which occurred roughly two blocks from the White House, as an "ambush" that's being investigated as an act of terrorism. President Donald Trump reinforced this characterization during remarks on Wednesday evening, calling it "a crime against our entire nation" and "a crime against humanity."
Lakanwal was taken into custody shortly after the attack that left two National Guard members wounded. The situation turned more grave when one of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, subsequently died from her injuries, prompting the escalation of charges.
According to CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Lakanwal had previously worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, as part of a partner force in Kandahar. Immigration records indicate he arrived in the United States in 2021 during the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Political Fallout and Immigration Debate
The case has quickly become embroiled in the nation's ongoing immigration debate. President Trump has used the incident to intensify his criticism of both immigration policies and the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Characterising the violence as evidence of "the single greatest national security threat facing our nation," the President announced that his administration would "reexamine every single alien from Afghanistan who has entered our country under Biden."
Lakanwal's immigration history shows he applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025 under the current Trump administration. As the investigation continues, authorities hope to uncover more details about the motives and circumstances behind the attack.
"We are hoping that the more information we can get and the more investigations going on … the more we will find out about what actually happened," Ms Pirro commented during her Friday morning appearance.
