Suspect in deadly U.S. National Guard shooting now charged with 1st degree murder
CBC
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 and the U.S. government announced a halt to all asylum decisions.
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 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.
Trump called the shooting a "terrorist attack" and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S.
The president has said he wants to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country.
The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said in a post on the social media platform X that all asylum decisions will be paused "until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."
In an interview on Fox News, Pirro said there are "many charges to come" beyond the upgraded murder charge. She said her heart goes out to the family of Beckstrom, who volunteered to serve and "ended up being shot ambush-style on the cold streets of Washington, D.C."
Pirro said officials have been working around the clock to determine the suspect's motive. Investigators are executing warrants in the state of Washington, where Lakanwal lived, and other parts of the country.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited National Guard troops in the nation's capital Friday and led them in a prayer for Beckstrom and Wolfe.
"Some of you may have known her," Hegseth said of Beckstrom. "Obviously a beautiful human being and a great American willing to serve her country brutally targeted."
Hegseth said he and his wife briefly visited Wolfe on Thursday night "to be there, lay hands on him, pray over him."
Wolfe remains in "very critical condition," West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Friday. He ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom's death.
"Their courage and commitment to duty represent the very best of our state," Morrisey said.
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