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Washington.- The accused in the shooting against two members of the National Guard in Washington pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of murder and assault during a first court appearance that he made from the hospital bed in which he remains admitted, CNN reported.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan citizen, is facing a first-degree murder charge for the death of Sarah Beckstrom, 20, one of the two officers he allegedly shot last Wednesday near the White House.
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The other agent affected while patrolling, Andrew Wolfe, 24 years old, remains in critical condition. The defendant, who is hospitalized because he was injured by federal agents during the shooting, pleaded not guilty to all charges. In addition to murder, he is charged with assault with intent to kill, possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during a violent act. Authorities continue to investigate the possible motive for the crime, although U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi anticipated that Justice could charge him with terrorism-related charges and seek the death penalty for him. The District of Columbia judge Renee Raymond ordered that the defendant remain in custody without bail until the trial is held. During the virtual appearance, he appeared covered with a blanket, except for his head, and with his eyes closed while writhing in pain. Rahmanullah Lakanwal worked for a CIA-backed military unit in Afghanistan and in 2021, when US troops withdrew from the country and the Taliban took power, he was evacuated to the United States along with thousands of Afghans. Following this attack, the Trump administration has frozen all asylum requests from any nationality and is considering expanding the list of countries with travel bans to the United States.
