Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House and killing one, has been hospitalized for a potentially life-threatening medical condition after refusing to eat while in pretrial custody, prosecutors stated in a court filing.
Justice Department prosecutors learned Thursday morning that Lakanwal had been taken to a hospital overnight for medical treatment necessary to preserve his life. The U.S. Marshals Service had notified prosecutors last month of concerns that Lakanwal was at risk of long-term health consequences, including death, due to his refusal to consume adequate nutrition for an extended period.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national, has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder. He is accused of fatally shooting West Virginia National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in November 2025. Beckstrom was 20 and Wolfe was 24.
The two Guard members had been deployed to Washington, D.C., for increased federal law enforcement patrols that began in the summer at the direction of President Donald Trump. Lakanwal is alleged to have driven from Bellingham, Washington, to the nation's capital with a stolen firearm and ambushed the troops outside a subway station near the White House. Another National Guard member reported hearing gunshots and seeing Beckstrom and Wolfe fall to the ground as Lakanwal fired a weapon and shouted "Allahu Akbar!", according to a police report.
Lakanwal was injured during the confrontation and appeared remotely from a hospital bed in December for his initial court hearing. A trial date has not yet been scheduled. The judge overseeing Lakanwal's case convened an emergency hearing regarding his medical condition, instructing prosecutors to submit a proposed order for access to his recent medical records. Attorneys for Lakanwal and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office declined to comment.