National Guard shooting suspect pleads not guilty as prosecutors review charges that could lead to death penalty

(WASHINGTON) -- The man accused of ambushing West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, where one was killed and another severely wounded, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan, was arraigned on nine charges, including first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm.

Lakanwal appeared in court on Wednesday in a wheelchair, seemingly still recovering from the injuries prosecutors say he sustained in the incident.

The Justice Department's push for the death penalty remains incomplete, with prosecutors telling Judge Amit Mehta that none of the current charges allow them to seek capital punishment. Prosecutors said in court they are reviewing potential additional charges that could make the case death penalty-eligible. Lakanwal is due back in court in early March.

"We will do everything in our power to seek the death penalty against that monster who should not have been in our country," Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in November.

While the District of Columbia abolished the death penalty decades ago, prosecutors can still seek capital punishment in federal court, where Lakanwal's case is being handled, under limited circumstances. It remains unclear what additional charges the Justice Department is pursuing -- officials with the department did not return a request for comment.

Lakanwal was one of thousands of Afghans evacuated to the United States after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 and his application for asylum was approved in 2025 under the Trump administration.

Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries on Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe suffered a gunshot wound to the head and remains in recovery.

Court documents say Lakanwal shot Beckstrom and Wolfe in the back of the head with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. A National Guard major returned fire, and another Guard officer subdued Lakanwal. Wolfe is still recovering and will have cranioplasty, or skull reconstruction surgery, in March, according to Melody Wolfe, his mother.

In Afghanistan, Lakanwal was affiliated with a so-called Zero Unit, working closely with the CIA and special operations, ABC News reported in December. He was considered a trusted member of the unit, which carried out U.S. counterterrorism missions, officials with direct knowledge explained.

Investigators believe Lakanwal was under financial strain after his work permit expired and may have been experiencing a mental health crisis, sources told ABC News. Investigators are also examining whether the recent death of an Afghan commander Lakanwal had worked with and might have admired may have worsened his mental and emotional state, according to sources.

The two guard members were a part of President Donald Trump's surge of troops into Washington, D.C., for law enforcement. After the shooting, the president deployed an additional 500 guard members into D.C., where some 2,600 are currently deployed performing civic duties like cleaning garbage off the street and patrolling the city's tourist spots and Metro rail stations.

The guard deployment will last through 2026, two officials told ABC News in January.

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