Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national residing in Bellingham, Washington, has been charged with new federal offenses in connection with the November 26 shooting that resulted in the death of National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom and serious injury to National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was killed and her parents are now forced to endure the holiday season without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery.”
Lakanwal faces federal charges for transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit an offense punishable by more than one year of imprisonment and for transporting a stolen firearm interstate. He also remains charged under D.C. law with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts related to possession of a firearm during a violent crime.
Court documents indicate that Lakanwal drove from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., carrying a stolen firearm. On November 26 at approximately 2:13 p.m., he allegedly opened fire near 17th and I Streets NW—close to Farragut West Metro Station—shooting both Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head without provocation. Two National Guard Majors who were nearby subdued Lakanwal at the scene.
Investigators recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver at the location of the incident; it had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023.
Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thanksgiving Day, November 27. Andrew Wolfe remains critically injured as he recovers from his wounds.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office along with the Metropolitan Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
