Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near a Washington, D.C., Metro station last year, has been hospitalized after refusing to eat in jail.
At an emergency hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta said Lakanwal was admitted to George Washington University Hospital after “refusing food and, in some cases, water,” according to The Washington Post. His health “has deteriorated quite substantially and he is in dire circumstances,” Mehta added.
Lakanwal, a 30-year-old Afghan national, is accused of ambushing a group of National Guard troops near the Farragut West Metro station, which sits just blocks from the White House. Prosecutors said Lakanwal drove from Bellingham, Washington, to the nation’s capital with a stolen gun and opened fire shortly after 2 p.m. on November 26, 2025.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were both shot in the head. Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving Day, while Wolfe recovered from his injuries. Two other guardsmen were also wounded in the attack.
Lakanwal was charged in a 17-count superseding indictment announced last month by the Justice Department. The latest charges related to Beckstrom’s murder are eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors said.
At the time, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro called the attack a “major offense against the United States.”
“Sarah Beckstrom was 20 years old, serving her country in the nation’s capital, when Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly drove across the country and executed her in cold blood steps from the White House. … We will pursue every penalty the law permits as we seek justice for Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe,” Pirro said in a statement.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
