Federal prosecutors charged Rahmanullah Lakanwal with interstate firearm offenses tied to a Washington, D.C., ambush that killed Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom and wounded Andrew Wolfe.
Washington, D.C. — Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who resided in Bellingham, Washington, was charged in U.S. District Court with federal firearm offenses connected to an ambush-style shooting that killed National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the transfer of the case from Superior Court to federal court allows prosecutors to conduct a formal review of whether the death penalty is warranted. Beckstrom was 20 years old at the time of her death. Wolfe, 24, survived but remains on a lengthy recovery path.
Federal charges filed Thursday include transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony and transporting a stolen firearm across state lines. Lakanwal also remains charged under the D.C. Code with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence…