WASHINGTON — A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges Tuesday during his first appearance before a judge, appearing remotely by video from a hospital bed.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who also was shot during last Wednesday's confrontation, said through an interpreter that he was in pain and couldn't open his eyes. A court-appointed defense attorney entered Lakanwal's plea on his behalf during the brief hearing in Washington, D.C.
Lakanwal is charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm in the shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Flowers, challenge coins and other items lay near a photograph of U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom at a makeshift memorial Monday outside of Farragut West Station, near the site where two National Guard members were shot in Washington.
Another National Guard member heard gunshots and saw Beckstrom and Wolfe fall to the ground as Lakanwal fired a gun and screamed, "Allahu Akbar!" according to a police report filed in court Tuesday. Lakanwal chased after and shot at another Guard member before troops detained him as he tried to reload his gun, the report says.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond ordered Lakanwal held without bond. His case is due back in court Jan. 14.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for President Donald Trump's law-enforcement surge in the nation's capital, which flooded the city with federal agents and troops since August.
Authorities were investigating a possible motive for what they described as an ambush-style attack.
A prosecutor, Ariel Dean, described the shooting as a "shocking crime" and said it appears that Lakanwal "traversed the city to some extent" before approaching the troops and shooting them.
Raymond ordered him detained, citing the "sheer terror that resulted" from Lakanwal's actions. The magistrate said it appears Lakanwal, a resident of Washington state, traveled across the country "with a specific purpose in mind." She described the government's case against him as "exceedingly strong."
A court-appointed defense attorney, Terrence Austin, noted Lakanwal doesn't have a prior criminal record.
After the hearing, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal will be taken to a correctional facility that can address his "medical concerns" once he is well enough to leave the hospital.
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The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil came amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration's use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that resettled Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.
Trump called the shooting a "terrorist attack" and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S.
The president also said he wants to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the United States.
Photos show Trump’s federal crackdown in a Washington, DC neighborhood
Armed officers prepare to place handcuffs on a man from within an apartment complex, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. The officers pictured had "Washington Field Office" on their shirts underneath tactical gear that said Police. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Yanna Stelle, 19, holds her baby Zyanna, 1, as she talks with neighbors in reaction to a large police presence of officers from several federal agencies including Federal Marshalls, Park Police, HSI, and FBI, who arrested a man from within her apartment complex, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. "That was too many police first thing in the morning," says Stelle, "especially for them just to be doing a warrant. I heard a bunch of walkie talkies and at least 20 officers in the hallways." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Officers from several federal agencies including FBI, Federal Marshalls, and Park Police, leave an apartment complex after arresting a man from within the apartment complex, Tuesday, August 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Officers from several federal agencies including U.S. Marshals, FBI, and Park Police, leave an apartment complex after arresting a man from within the apartment complex, Tuesday, August 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Armed officers from several federal agencies including U.S. Marshals, FBI, HSI, and Park Police, leave an apartment complex after arresting a man from within the apartment complex, Tuesday, August 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A woman walks past fruit vendors without buying anything, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, as vendors wait for customers in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of northwest Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A woman walking her dog watches as officers from several federal agencies including FBI, Federal Marshalls, HSI, and Park Police, arrest a man at an apartment complex, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Officers from several federal agencies including FBI, Federal Marshalls, HSI, and Park Police, leave an apartment complex after arresting a man from within the apartments, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in the Petworth neighborhood of northwest Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
