On the afternoon of November 27, 2025, the heart of Washington, D.C. was rocked by a violent attack that left one National Guard member dead and another seriously wounded just blocks from the White House. The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, now faces charges of first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and illegal possession of a firearm. The case, already fraught with political and social tension, has reignited fierce debate over the use of military forces in law enforcement and the complex realities of U.S. immigration policy.
Lakanwal’s first court appearance on December 2 was anything but ordinary. Hospitalized after being shot during the confrontation, he appeared remotely via video, lying in a hospital bed, draped in a blanket, and at times grimacing in pain. According to AP, when asked by the judge if he understood the charges, Lakanwal responded through an interpreter, "I can't open my eyes, I have pain." His court-appointed defense attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
The events unfolded outside the Farragut West Metro station at 17th & I Street NW, a bustling area near the White House. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were targeted while on patrol as part of a Trump administration-deployed law enforcement surge. Court documents, as reported by 7NEWS and NBC News, reveal that Lakanwal waited at the corner for about a minute before yelling "Allahu Akbar!" and shooting both soldiers in the head. Beckstrom died from her wounds on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, while Wolfe remained hospitalized in serious condition but showing signs of improvement as of early December.
Authorities say that after shooting Beckstrom and Wolfe, Lakanwal attempted to shoot a third Guard member, who instead shot him. A fourth Guardsman then tackled Lakanwal as he tried to reload his weapon. The police report and subsequent court filings describe the attack as "ambush-style," with D.C. Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond noting the "sheer terror that resulted." She ordered Lakanwal held without bond, describing the government's case as "exceedingly strong." As she put it, "That there’s video footage of him waiting in broad daylight while armed, and then upon seeing a contingent of law enforcement officers, including the slain and injured National Guard persons, he went in their direction, and he started shooting at them—that goes again to the strength of the government's case."
Prosecutors allege that Lakanwal traveled approximately 3,000 miles from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to the nation’s capital, armed and with a specific purpose in mind. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who was present in the courtroom, told reporters, "The crime is one that we believe we will be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. And I think the judge was very astute when she made it clear that she believed that he crossed the country with a weapon with the intent to commit a crime of violence, and her decision was the correct one based upon the facts and the law." Pirro indicated that more charges could be forthcoming as the investigation continues, and that Attorney General Pam Bondi will ultimately decide whether to seek the death penalty—a decision she called "very weighty."
The attack has reverberated far beyond the courtroom, drawing national attention to the policies that brought Lakanwal to the United States. He entered the U.S. in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program designed to resettle Afghans who had worked with American forces during the Afghanistan War. According to AfghanEvac, Lakanwal’s asylum was approved during the Trump administration. Lakanwal, who had served for a decade in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces and worked with a CIA-trained unit, was evacuated after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He settled in Washington state with his wife and five children, but, as reported by Al Jazeera, had grown increasingly isolated and despondent in the years since his resettlement.
Some advocacy groups have pushed back against attempts to politicize the tragedy. Shawn VanDiver, president of Afghan Evac, argued, "They [the Trump administration] seem to be using this horrific attack as a political cudgel to carry out the heinous immigration plans that they had anyway. Afghans didn’t perpetrate this atrocity. One man did, and it sounds like he was struggling mightily with PTSD." Reports from associates and news outlets suggest Lakanwal may have struggled with mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, following his experiences in Afghanistan and the challenges of adapting to life in the U.S.
The shooting has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the role of the military in domestic law enforcement. The Trump administration’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to D.C. was part of a broader law-and-order push, with more than 2,700 troops expected to remain in the city through February. The incident also comes amid heated discussions about immigration, with former President Trump calling the shooting a "terrorist attack" and criticizing the Biden administration’s policies for enabling Afghans to enter the country. He has called for a "permanent pause" on migration from poorer nations and the expulsion of millions of immigrants, stoking fears among refugee advocates and immigrant communities.
Meanwhile, the families of those directly affected are left reeling. Beckstrom, who aspired to become an FBI special agent, had initially "hated" her deployment to D.C., her ex-boyfriend told NBC News, but had grown to appreciate the city and its history. Wolfe, still recovering, has shown signs of improvement, giving nurses a "thumbs-up" and wiggling his toes, according to West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey. The National Guard community, too, mourns the loss of one of its own while supporting another through a difficult recovery.
As the legal process unfolds, with Lakanwal’s next court date set for January 14, 2026, many questions remain unanswered. Authorities have yet to identify a clear motive for the attack, and the investigation continues to probe Lakanwal’s background, mental health, and possible connections. The case is being prosecuted in D.C. Superior Court by federal attorneys, reflecting the city’s unique legal status and the complex interplay between local and federal jurisdictions.
For now, the nation watches as a single, tragic incident exposes the fault lines in America’s immigration system, its approach to veterans’ mental health, and the use of military force at home. The story is far from over, but its impact is already being felt in courtrooms, policy debates, and communities across the country.
