Washington, D.C. — Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who resided in Bellingham, Washington, was charged in U.S. District Court with federal firearm offenses connected to an ambush-style shooting that killed National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the transfer of the case from Superior Court to federal court allows prosecutors to conduct a formal review of whether the death penalty is warranted. Beckstrom was 20 years old at the time of her death. Wolfe, 24, survived but remains on a lengthy recovery path.
Federal charges filed Thursday include transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony and transporting a stolen firearm across state lines. Lakanwal also remains charged under the D.C. Code with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Lakanwal allegedly drove a Toyota Prius from Bellingham to Washington, D.C., while carrying a stolen firearm. On November 26 at approximately 2:13 p.m., authorities say he opened fire without provocation near 17th and I Streets NW, close to the Farragut West Metro Station, striking both Guardsmen in the head.
Two National Guard majors who were nearby intervened and subdued the suspect at the scene. Investigators recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023.
Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thanksgiving Day, November 27. Wolfe was critically wounded in the attack.
The investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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