Web Desk (MNN); An Afghan national accused of shooting two US National Guard members near the White House will now be charged with first-degree murder after one of the soldiers succumbed to her injuries, a senior US official confirmed on Friday.
The development comes as President Donald Trump vows to suspend immigration from “third-world countries,” intensifying an already heated political climate.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, reported by US media to be a former member of the CIA-backed “Zero Units” paramilitary force in Afghanistan.
Washington DC attorney Jeanine Pirro, speaking on Fox News, said charges were being upgraded from assault to premeditated murder. “This was an ambush — a gun attack on people who had no warning,” she said, adding that more charges were expected.
The announcement followed Attorney General Pam Bondi’s statement that she would seek the death penalty, calling Lakanwal a “monster.”
According to officials, Lakanwal opened fire with a .357 revolver at guardsmen on patrol just blocks from the White House on Wednesday, a day before Thanksgiving.
One victim, 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, died from her wounds. The second soldier, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
Pirro said authorities were assisting Wolfe’s family and still “had hope” for his recovery.
The shooting has ignited debate over immigration, Trump’s deployment of military personnel domestically, and the unresolved consequences of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan.
Following the attack, Trump announced plans to “permanently pause” immigration from all “Third World Countries,” adding he may reverse millions of green cards issued under former president Joe Biden.
When pressed for details, the Department of Homeland Security referred to an existing list of 19 restricted nations including Afghanistan, Iran, Cuba, Haiti, and Myanmar.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow also ordered a complete reassessment of every green card issued to nationals of those countries, according to the department.
Official data indicates over 1.6 million US permanent residents were born in the listed states — around 12 percent of the total green card holder population. Afghanistan alone accounts for more than 116,000 holders, and its immigration processing has now been halted entirely.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Lakanwal previously fought alongside US-backed forces in Afghanistan and entered the US under evacuation programs for Afghan partners following the Taliban takeover in 2021.
He had been living in Washington state with his family before travelling across the country to the capital, officials said.
Senior Trump officials claimed he was granted entry without proper vetting due to what they described as “lax asylum policies” after the 2021 US withdrawal. However, AfghanEvac — a resettlement organisation — rejected those claims, saying evacuees faced some of the strictest screening of any migrant group.
