Suspect in shooting of US agents faces new charges with possible death penalty

The suspect in the shooting of two National Guard officers in Washington D.C. last month now faces federal charges that could lead prosecutors to seek the death penalty for him.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) states in a release that the alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been charged in the U.S. District Court with one count of transporting a firearm with the intent to commit a felony and another for carrying a stolen weapon.

Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan citizen, had already been charged with first-degree murder, assault, and possession of a firearm in Washington Superior Court, crimes to which he pleaded not guilty.

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In this court, the death penalty is not considered, but now that he has been charged with federal charges, the door is opened for the prosecution to request this sentence for him.

“The transfer of this case (to a federal court) ensures that we can conduct the serious, deliberate, and in-depth analysis necessary to determine if the death penalty is appropriate,” assures the federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, in the DOJ statement.

Lakanwal is accused of shooting at two National Guard officers near the White House on November 26.

One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from the shots, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, survived and is in the process of recovery.