A Washington, D.C., judge on Tuesday ordered Rahmanullah Lakanwal — the Afghan national accused of killing one National Guard troop member and wounding another near the White House — held without bond, calling the government's case "exceedingly strong."
Lakanwal, 29, appeared by video from a hospital bed, telling the court through an interpreter that he was in pain and couldn't open his eyes. A court-appointed attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Prosecutors say Lakanwal opened fire on Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, during what authorities described as an ambush attack.
Prosecutors charged Lakanwal with first-degree murder in Beckstrom's death, plus three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and three firearm-related crime-of-violence counts.
Wolfe remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Another National Guard member heard gunshots and saw Beckstrom and Wolfe fall to the ground as Lakanwal fired a gun and screamed, "Allahu Akbar!" according to a police report filed in court Tuesday.
Lakanwal chased after and shot at another Guard member before troops detained him as he tried to reload his gun, the report says.
The Guard members were deployed to Washington as part of President Donald Trump's law-enforcement surge launched in August to crack down on crime in the nation's capital.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond ordered Lakanwal detained pending his next hearing on Jan. 14, citing the "sheer terror that resulted" and evidence suggesting Lakanwal traveled from Washington state "with a specific purpose in mind."
"There's video footage of him waiting in broad daylight while armed," the judge said.
"The government's case is exceedingly strong," she added.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Dean called the assault a "shocking crime," saying Lakanwal appeared to move through the city before targeting the troops.
Defense attorney Terrence Austin noted that Lakanwal has no prior criminal record.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal will be moved to a secure facility once medically cleared and warned that more federal charges may follow.
Attorney General Pam Bondi will decide whether to pursue the death penalty.
The attack — a rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil — has intensified scrutiny over who entered the country under former President Joe Biden's Operation Allies Welcome, the program that admitted Lakanwal to the U.S. in 2021 after the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Advocacy group #AfghanEvac said he later applied for asylum under Biden, with approval coming during the Trump administration.
"This is an individual about whom we don't know a lot. But we will, trust me," Pirro said.
Trump has condemned the shooting as a "terrorist attack," blaming Biden-era immigration policies for bringing individuals into the U.S. without sufficient vetting and renewing his call to "permanently pause migration" from high-risk countries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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