The man suspected of shooting two National Guard members in Washington on Nov. 26 is facing additional federal firearm charges that could carry the death penalty.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan refugee, had already been charged in Superior Court in Washington with first-degree murder, assault and two weapons charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Dec. 2. But there is no death penalty in that court.
On Wednesday, the case was transferred to District Court in the capital. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a statement that the move allowed for a “serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here.”
The two National Guard members who were shot — Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom — were attacked while they were on duty near the Farragut West Metro station in Washington. Specialist Beckstrom died of her injuries the day after the shooting. Sergeant Wolfe, 24, who was wounded in the head, was making “extraordinary progress,” his doctor said recently.
Mr. Lakanwal, 29, had driven across the country from Bellingham, Wash., to carry out the attack. He immigrated from Afghanistan in 2021 after working with C.I.A.-backed paramilitary units. He received asylum from the U.S. government in April, according to three people with knowledge of the case who were not authorized to speak publicly.
Since the attack, Mr. Trump has intensified his aggressive anti-migrant stance and has instituted a sweeping prohibition on refugee admissions.
Talya Minsberg is a Times reporter covering breaking and developing news.
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