White House shooting suspect Afghan national to be charged with first-degree murder
The Afghan national, accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House, will be charged with first-degree murder, the Washington Post reported. Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for Washington, DC, said that more counts are likely to follow against suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal (29), who migrated from Afghanistan in 2021 under "Operation Allies Welcome" during Joe Biden's tenure, after the chaotic withdrawal of US forces in Afghanistan.
The Washington Post reported that the upgraded charges of first-degree murder, instead of the initial charges of assault, raise the possibility for the suspected attacker to face the death penalty in the case.
The shooting that occurred on Wednesday, blocks from the White House, left two National Guard members severely injured. One of them (Spec. Sarah Beckstrom) has died, while the other remains wounded. Although capital punishment has been abolished in District of Columbia, Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday said she will seek the death penalty against the man accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, the Hill reported.
In August, US president Donald Trump had asserted that his government would seek capital punishment in every murder case that occurred in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, Trump on Friday said that he would permanently pause migration from all "third-world countries" to allow the US system to terminate illegal admissions into the United States.
- ANI
