Man charged in National Guard shooting pleads not guilty during court appearance from hospital bed

Associated Press

December 02, 2025 / 11:46 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to murder and assault charges during his first appearance before a judge via video from a hospital bed.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot, faces charges stemming from the Nov. 26 shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a brief court hearing in Washington, D.C.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard for President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement

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