The man accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in the District of Columbia last week pleaded not guilty to murder.
Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal made a virtual appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed and gun charges.
D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond ordered that Mr. Lakanwal be held without bond before trial.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14.
Mr. Lakanwal is charged with murder for the death of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who succumbed to wounds suffered in the ambush attack just two blocks from the White House.
The other victim, Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is “still fighting for his life,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday.
Authorities have not yet identified a motive for the ambush shooting of the two National Guard members who were on patrol as part of a deployment to the nation’s capital.
Mr. Lakanwal, who was also shot, remains hospitalized and joined his court appearance while in bed. All but his head was covered by a blanket.
An interpreter spoke for him, translating between Pashto and English.
In an eight-page court filing, investigators said they were able to track Mr. Lakanwal’s movements before the shooting through a surveillance video.
Mr. Lakanwal worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan before emigrating to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled Afghans after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country.
He applied for asylum under the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration. He was living in Washington with his wife and five children before the shooting.
Since the incident, the Trump administration has doubled down on future prevention.
President Trump said that hundreds more National Guard members would be coming to Washington, who are expected to remain until at least the end of February.
The administration has also made it harder for some foreigners to enter or stay in the country, paused asylum decisions, initiated a review of some green card applications and halted visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. war effort.
