Afghan national charged in Guard ambush shooting drove across US to carry out attack, officials say

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 11:15 AM EST, November 27, 2025


WASHINGTON (AP) — An Afghan national who worked for the CIA in his native country and arrived in the U.S. in 2021 drove across the country from Washington state to shoot two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence, which comes as the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint. Pirro identified the guard members at a news conference as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remained hospitalized in critical condition.

Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.

The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding, “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-white-house-afghan-national-138fbe6872d7ac30b20973783b39002c

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Am sure Pirro will find a way to screw this up!

[Walleye]

1. So now the asshole will be sending more guns to the streets. Brilliant.

[RockRaven]

5. Also sending more potential victims to the streets. Those NG shouldn't have ever been there.

[Igel]

14. Doesn't that rather imply that to be on the streets in DC

is to be a "potential victim"?

And couldn't "that person shouldn't have ever been there" apply to any innocent victim in a way that basically avoids saying that there's a murderer but, ya know, let's not talk about that person.

Why would somebody shoot a guardsman any more than anybody else unless they swallowed some 'background noise' about fighting fascists and resisting the occupation? I mean, that kind of talk never hurt anybody, not really.

Have to wonder about the early "allahu akbar" claim, though. It's dropped out of the reporting--is that because it's false or impolitic?

[RockRaven]

15. You can spin any tale you can imagine, since the evidence for motive at this point is nil.

Not sure what the point of that would be.

The fact is that those particular victims would not have been in DC in the first place to get shot if it were not for a performative stunt The Dotard chose to engage in with NG as his props. The Dotard performed a particular action which resulted in those two victims being shot, and his "solution" to a problem he created is to perform the same action over again.

[24601]

24. Motive is not an element of proof required for conviction. Intent is. n/t

[RockRaven]

25. Total non sequitur. Not relevant to my post in any way. nt

[GreenWave]

2. Why was Fox and other RW outlets stating yesterday both were dead?

And I see the White House has moved back further away, Yesterday it was "only a block away" and failing to mention dumpster was far away.

[ChicagoTeamster]

8. That's what they were hoping. Then they could exploit it.

[Hugin]

3. No surprise that Pirro can't talk motive...

Who besides the Trump Administration has a motive for some former Afghani CIA linked operative driving across the country to shoot two random NG troopers to get the heat off of the stench of a failed everything?

I doubt we’ll ever get to a motive.

[SaydiTom]

4. "brazen act of violence" - thanks for the dramatization, AP!

[James48]

6. Wait until he claims POW status!

An armed foreign national of a country that technically we still have an “authorization of use of force” , fires a weapon and hits two uniformed members of the U.S. military? That is a military attack.

He can possibly claim that he is a legal combatant, and struck against other legal combatants. That certainly has the possibility to become a very thorny legal issue.

Under the law of war, a legal combatant once captured, is entitled to POW status, held by a military POW facility, and must be repatriated once the “war” is over.

It can be argued that it was a legal military attack.

[GJGCA]

11. No uniform, an unlawful combatant...

...and thus no possible POW status, as I understand things, but I'm no expert.

[EX500rider]

13. Wasn't aware the US & Afghanistan were still at war.

We weren't at war with Afghanistan in the last decade anyway but helping the Afghan govt fight insurgents.

Since the Taliban recently arose to power not aware of any US strikes there.

[James48]

16. The authorization for use of force continues in effect.

Since 2001, it is still in effect.

[bluestarone]

7. Just guessing here, but i'm thinking this was because of religion.

Thinking TSF's cult want religion in schools and every place possible. Just what America needs is a war on WHAT religion will Americans fight about?

[ClaudetteCC]

12. What has been made known about his religious beliefs?

[ChicagoTeamster]

9. Think he was operating under direction of his CIA handlers?

[WhiteTara]

10. the results of betrayal.

Given sort of safe passage to have it ripped away. I'm sure that with each mile he traveled, his rage grew.

I'm sorry for the guardsmen who were shot and I hope they live and recover.

[Stacey Grove]

17. Probably figured he'd do better in a U.S. B.O.P. facility

than going back to Afghanistan.

[WhiteTara]

18. I wonder if he thought that far ahead

After what he did for us in Afghanistan and then tsf getting ready to deport every one, I think he snapped. But who knows?

[Stacey Grove]

19. He'd likely be killed in Afghanistan

for collaborating with Americans.

Unintended consequences of foul, racist immigration policies from a demented madman.

Perhaps.

[WhiteTara]

20. exactly. That's the betrayal

We said we would take care of those who helped us and tsf has once again used his power to destroy every ne and every thing. ETTD

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

21. Charges have been upgraded

Suspect in shooting of National Guard members now facing a first-degree murder charge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia announced Friday, while investigators continue to seek a motive.

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 were hospitalized in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting near the White House. Trump announced Thursday evening that Beckstrom had died.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said the charges against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War, now include one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting mission that federalized the D.C. police force. The president also has deployed or tried to deploy National Guard members to other cities to assist with his mass deportation efforts but has faced court challenges.

https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-suspect-585e36855d1dddd3e801708987c776c0

[JI7]

22. How did he get a gun ?

[Skittles]

23. huh?

this is AMERICA, any nutcase can easily "get a gun"

[Ocelot II]

26. Seriously? Anybody who wants a gun can get one.

Maybe legally, maybe not, but it isn't difficult. Private sellers are loosely regulated if at all, and if you know the right connections, some dodgy character will be happy to sell you one from the trunk of his car.