A man accused of killing a National Guard member in a brazen attack near the White House has been hospitalized after refusing to eat and sometimes refusing to drink water while awaiting trial on capital charges.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal was admitted to George Washington University Hospital at midnight after spending roughly two weeks refusing food and going for extended periods without water. During an emergency court hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said Lakanwal’s “health has deteriorated quite substantially” and described his condition as “dire circumstances.” Mehta noted that the defendant’s health situation “is in some sense self-inflicted.”
Prosecutors notified the court that the U.S. Marshals Service had advised them last month of concerns that Lakanwal faced the risk of long-term health consequences, including death, due to his extended refusal to consume adequate nutrition. The 29-year-old Afghan national was rushed to the hospital for “medical treatment necessary to preserve his life,” according to court filings.
The hospitalization created an unexpected complication in what federal prosecutors intend to pursue as a capital case. Instead of focusing on trial preparation, the emergency court hearing centered on Lakanwal’s medical condition while in federal custody. No detailed explanation was offered regarding why Lakanwal stopped eating.
Lakanwal is accused of shooting two National Guard members near the Farragut West Metro station in downtown Washington on November 26, 2025, in an attack authorities described as an unprovoked ambush just blocks from the White House. West Virginia Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was fatally shot in the back of the head and died the following day. U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically wounded but survived.
According to court documents, Lakanwal drove from Bellingham, Washington, to the nation’s capital armed with a stolen.357-caliber revolver. Prosecutors say video showed him approaching the National Guard members with his hands raised in a firing stance before opening fire. During the confrontation, other National Guard members subdued Lakanwal, with one major shooting him and another major detaining him.
In February, Lakanwal pleaded not guilty in federal court to nine charges, including first-degree murder while armed, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, assault with intent to kill while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He also pleaded not guilty to charges in D.C. Superior Court.
During the emergency hearing Thursday, the court faced a dispute over access to Lakanwal’s medical records. Government attorneys argued that officials responsible for overseeing him in federal custody needed access to his current medical condition information to determine how to manage him once he leaves the hospital. Lakanwal’s attorney objected vigorously, warning that broader access to his medical history could later influence the prosecution, particularly because prosecutors are already seeking the harshest possible punishment.
Judge Mehta adopted a narrower approach, declining to order the release of Lakanwal’s previous medical records. However, he ruled that information generated during his current hospitalization could be shared with the Department of Justice to assist officials responsible for his care while he remains detained.
Court filings indicate that the U.S. Marshals Service had notified prosecutors about a month before the hearing that Lakanwal was at risk. According to earlier court documents, investigators learned that about a month before the shooting, a witness told the FBI that Lakanwal was seeking a gun for personal protection while working as a driver for Lyft and Uber. The witness allegedly provided him with the stolen.357 revolver that was later used in the attack.
Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program to resettle Afghans following the Taliban takeover. He worked with the CIA for over a decade in Afghanistan as part of a partner force in Kandahar before the U.S. military withdrawal ended in 2021. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal was part of the CIA’s paramilitary units in Afghanistan.
The FBI has been investigating the shooting as a potential act of international terrorism to determine if it may have been inspired by an international terrorist organization. Witnesses reported that as Beckstrom and Wolfe fell to the ground after being shot, they heard Lakanwal shouting “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic phrase meaning “God is great.” However, authorities have not publicly released specific evidence tying Lakanwal to a terrorist organization, and no terrorism-related charges have been filed against him.
The Justice Department has indicated it plans to seek the death penalty against Lakanwal. The case has drawn significant attention due to its proximity to the White House and the military status of the victims.