WASHINGTON – The Pentagon says all National Guard agents continuing to patrol D.C. will now be armed. 

It comes after two guard members were shot, one fatally. 

The backstory:

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two National Guard members last Wednesday, has pleaded not guilty to assault and murder charges.

Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died a day later, on Thanksgiving, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in the hospital.

Lakanwal appeared in front of a judge virtually from his hospital bed, pleading not guilty on all four charges – two counts of assault, one firearm charge and first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of specialist Sarah Beckstrom right here on the corner of I and 17th Streets. 

“We are pursuing everything,” U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said. “There is nothing off the table right now.” 

Pirro says 29-year-old Lakanwal could face additional charges in federal court as her office continues to investigate the ambush-style shooting of the West Virginia National Guard members. 

Man accused of shooting National Guard members in DC makes first court appearance

New evidence released:

Guarded by officers at a local hospital, Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

In new surveillance photos found in court documents, Lakanwal is seen standing by the Farragut West Metro entrance moments before the shooting.

In the next photo, it appears that the suspect approaches a group of National Guard members circled in blue.

Witnesses say that’s when “gunfire erupted,” striking 20-year-old Beckstrom and 24-year-old Wolfe.

Dig deeper:

Investigators say a major with the National Guard who was nearby shot Lakanwal with his service weapon as the suspect was trying reload his gun. 

Secret Service officers responding to the shooting helped apprehend the suspect after the shooting. 

According to the documents, both Beckstrom, who passed, and Wolfe were shot in the head.

“We have one young man who is fighting for his life. He’s fighting very hard,” President Donald Trump said. 

What’s next:

At a press briefing on Tuesday, the Pentagon announced changes following this tragic shooting.

“I can confirm that everybody in D.C. is now armed, and a lot of our D.C. National Guardsmen are now doing joint patrol, with members of the police department here in D.C.,” Pentagon press secretary Kigsley Wilson said. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office added that Lakanwal allegedly traveled from Washington state to D.C. the same day to carry out this attack.

This is an individual about whom we don’t know a lot, but we will trust me, before it’s over,” Pirro said.

Lakanwal will remain in the hospital until he is well enough to be transferred to jail, where he will be held without bond.

His next court date is on Jan.14.

WASHINGTON — The man accused of shooting two National Guardsmen, killing one, made a virtual appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday to face a charge of first-degree murder.

Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was also shot, could be seen on a video feed laying down in a hospital bed. Officials allege that Lakanwal gunned down Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, last week while they were on patrol near the White House as part of the their deployment to the nation’s capital.

Lakanwal, 29, is also charged with assault with intent to kill while armed; possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in addition to murder.

He pleaded not guilty to all counts. A judged ordered Lakanwal held without bond.

Court documents say that Lakawal yelled “Allahu akbar!” (“God is great” in Arabic) as he fired and that he was subdued as he appeared to be reloading.

Both guard members, who were serving in West Virginia’s National Guard, were shot in the head last Wednesday. Beckstrom died from her wounds, President Donald Trump told troops in a Thanksgiving Day call.

Wolfe remains in serious condition. But West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday that he had showed signs of improvement after giving nurses a “thumbs-up” and being able to wiggle his toes.

Authorities have not yet identified a motive for the shooting.

A relative of Lakanwal said he arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 after having served in the Afghan army for 10 years alongside U.S. Special Forces troops. He was living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children, the relative added.

The CIA confirmed that Lakanwal worked for the U.S. government as a member of a partner force in Kandahar. His service ended in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Washington, DC, Council member Janeese Lewis George, a Democratic Socialist, launched her campaign for mayor of the nation’s capital on Monday – and she’s reportedly seeking to emulate Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral bid. 

Lewis George, 37, is seeking to replace DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who announced last week that she would not seek re-election to a fourth term. 

“Rent’s rising in homes people can’t afford. Folks are working hard and still feeling the squeeze, while the few in power rake in profits,” Lewis George said in a video announcing her run for mayor, echoing the rhetoric that propelled Mamdani to victory in the Big Apple. 

“And now our neighbors, our families, are under attack because we are failing to stand up to defend them,” the council member continued, as images of federal agents arresting people on the street played in the background. 

“That’s not the D.C., I know. That’s why I’m running for mayor,” Lewis George declared. “Because it’s time we had leaders who fight for the people who stand up to corruption and greed and stand with the people who make D.C. work.” 

Axios reported last month that Lewis George was aiming to build a 5,000-members strong volunteer army to knock on doors and phone bank.  

Her campaign was also hoping to bring on one of the Mamdani campaign’s top top digital advisers and target young voters online and on TikTok. 

Lewis George has served on the DC Council since 2021. 

She was endorsed by the DC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who congratulated “our chapter member” after her 2020 victory in the Ward 4 election. 

“Janeese’s grassroots, people-powered victories, both in the primary and in the general election, show that Ward 4 residents are tired of the big business and developer-friendly politics … Metro D.C. DSA is confident that George will be an elected leader who stands with the working class,” the group said in 2020. 

Like Mamdani, Lewis George has faced criticism for her past support for defunding the police. 

“I will absolutely divest from [DC’s Metropolitan Police Department] and put that money into violence interruption programs. Full stop,” she wrote on X in October 2019. 

Lewis George walked back her support for defunding the police during her 2020 campaign. 

The council member told the Washington Post that as mayor, she would focus on “evidence-based strategies to prevent crime,” suggesting swift punishment but short sentences for criminals work best. 

“We’ve focused a lot in the city on sentencing,” Lewis George told the outlet, “but what I’ve learned in law school and as a prosecutor is what deters crime is an individual knowing — am I going to get caught, and what are the chances of me being held accountable?”

President Trump surged federal law enforcement into the nation’s capital earlier this year and federalized the district’s police department as part of a sweeping crime crackdown — moves staunchly opposed by Lewis George.

Bowser was critical of Trump’s DC takeover but later acknowledged that it was helping reduce crime in DC.