DC Shooting Suspect Facing Upgraded Charge as 'Many ...

By Adeola Adeosun

Weekend Night Editor

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The suspect accused of fatally shooting West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, near the White House now faces an upgraded first-degree murder charge, with prosecutors signaling additional charges are imminent.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced the upgraded charges on Fox & Friends Friday morning, stating "there are certainly many more charges to come" as investigators work around the clock to gather information about the Wednesday ambush that killed Beckstrom and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.

Why It Matters

West Virginia National Guard members Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Wolfe were in Washington, D.C., since August as part of the federal surge in the nation's capital to tackle crime and immigration operations.

A suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, of Washington state, allegedly drove across the country before shooting Beckstrom and Wolfe in an "ambush-style" attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver before he was wounded and apprehended by responding troops, according to Pirro.

What To Know

Lakanwal was initially charged with assault before prosecutors upgraded the charges to first-degree murder following Beckstrom's death Thursday evening. Pirro told Fox & Friends hosts that investigators are gathering more information about Lakanwal "even being in this country and being in a position to ambush and shoot down an innocent young woman who was doing her duty to the people of this country."

Beckstrom suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and head during what authorities described as an "ambush-style" attack. President Donald Trump announced her death during his Thanksgiving address Thursday evening, calling her a "magnificent person" who was "outstanding in every way." Her father had told The New York Times earlier that day she was not expected to survive, describing her injuries as a "mortal wound."

Wolfe underwent surgery and remains hospitalized in critical condition. Trump acknowledged Thursday that Wolfe is "in bad shape" and fighting for his life.

The suspect allegedly drove across the country from Washington state before carrying out the attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. He was wounded and apprehended by responding troops. The suspect entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that relocated roughly 76,000 Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces during the military drawdown from Afghanistan. According to CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Lakanwal worked with the U.S. government and the CIA. He applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted by the Trump administration earlier this year.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident, though Lakanwal's motives remain unknown.

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What People Are Saying

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told Fox & Friends on Friday: "There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree. And we are hoping that the more information we can get, and the more investigation that is going on 24/7 now around the clock in Washington, the more we will find out about what actually happened in terms of this individual, even being in this country, and being in a position to ambush and shoot down an innocent young woman who was doing her duty to the people of this country."

President Donald Trump said on Thursday: "I am determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price."

General Steven Nordhaus, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said: "We are devastated by this senseless act of violence."

CIA Director John Ratcliffe, told Fox News Digital: "In the wake of the disastrous Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the US government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation."

Attorney General Pam Bondi said: "I'll tell you right now, we will do everything in our power to seek the death penalty for that monster, who should not have been in our country."

What Happens Next?

The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation into the attack, which is being treated as a possible act of international terrorism, Fox News reported.

Trump also announced a review of all Afghan nationals admitted under the Biden administration, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has temporarily halted all Afghan-related immigration applications pending further review.