A man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and assault charges.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot, made his initial court appearance on Tuesday by video from a hospital bed.
His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf on the charges stemming from the November 26 shooting near the White House that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
A Washington, DC judge has ordered Lakanwal held in custody without bond, citing the "sheer terror" of the shooting.Lakanwal travelled from north-western Washington state to the US capital to carry out the attack, prosecutors alleged.
He was shot during the incident and has remained hospitalised.
Lakanwal had been part of a CIA-backed "partner force" fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and entered the United States as part of a resettlement programme following the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, but officials have blamed what they called lax vetting by the government of Trump's predecessor Joe Biden for his admission to US soil during the Afghan airlift.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration intends to pause asylum decisions for "a long time" after the shooting.
"We don't want those people," he said on social media.
Mental health issues?
CBS News obtained caseworker emails from early 2024 indicating that Lakanwal had struggled with mental health issues, unemployment, and isolation since at least March 2023.One email described him as spending "weeks on end in his darkened bedroom," showing signs of "manic episodes" and possible PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from his military service alongside US forces in southern Afghanistan."This violent act does not reflect the Afghan community," said Shawn VanDiver, head of AfghanEvac, stressing that Afghans undergo "some of the most extensive vetting" of any immigrant group.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday on NBC’s "Meet the Press" that Lakanwal was "radicalised since he’s been here in this country," suggesting local influences may have played a role."We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state," she said, though no additional details or evidence were presented.
Lakanwal’s mental health struggles were previously documented in January 2024, months before his asylum approval.
 
A former Afghan commando told CBS that the death of Lakanwal’s close friend, also a former Afghan officer, in 2024 deeply affected him.
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Source: TRT