US | Afghan national accused of killing WV National Guard soldier now faces potential death penalty

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors have secured a superseding indictment against the Afghan national accused of fatally shooting a West Virginia National Guard soldier and seriously wounding another Guardsman near the White House last year, adding charges that could make him eligible for the death penalty.

A federal grand jury returned a 17-count superseding indictment Tuesday against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 30, in connection with the Nov. 26, 2025, attack that killed Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe of Martinsburg.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, the new charges involving Beckstrom's death are eligible for capital punishment. Prosecutors said the grand jury also returned special findings that will allow the U.S. Department of Justice to review whether to seek the death penalty.

Lakanwal was arraigned Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta.

The superseding indictment marks the latest development in a case that reverberated across West Virginia, where Beckstrom's service and sacrifice continue to be honored months after the attack.

Earlier this week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey joined West Virginia National Guard and Glenville State University leaders to establish the Beckstrom-Wolfe Educational Partnership, a tuition assistance program named for Beckstrom and Wolfe. The initiative provides a 20% tuition discount for eligible Guard members, veterans and their immediate family members pursuing online criminal justice degrees through Glenville State.

The partnership honors Beckstrom, a West Virginia National Guard soldier and Glenville State student, and Wolfe, who survived the attack and continues to recover from his injuries.

According to court documents, Beckstrom and Wolfe were on duty, in uniform and serving as special deputy U.S. marshals when the shooting occurred near 17th and I streets NW, just blocks from the White House.

Investigators allege Lakanwal drove from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., while in possession of a stolen .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. Federal authorities previously said he traveled more than 2,500 miles before arriving in the nation's capital several days before the shooting.

Court records indicate Lakanwal purchased ammunition in Washington state in mid-November and conducted online searches related to Washington, D.C., and the White House before beginning the cross-country trip. Investigators tracked his movements through license plate reader data and cellphone records as he traveled east.

Prosecutors allege Lakanwal opened fire without provocation at approximately 2:13 p.m. on Nov. 26, striking Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head. Two nearby National Guard officers subdued the suspect at the scene.

Authorities recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023.

Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thanksgiving Day. Wolfe, 25, of Martinsburg, survived the attack and continues his recovery.

Lakanwal remains charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed and firearm-related offenses. The superseding indictment adds additional counts and initiates the federal review process that could lead prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department.

Source: wvnews.com, Charles Young, June 17, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

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