A man charged in connection with a fatal shooting of a National Guard member in Washington, D.C., last year has been admitted to a hospital after refusing food and water while in federal custody, prompting a federal judge to examine his medical condition during an emergency hearing.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, accused of shooting two National Guard members in late November 2025, was taken to George Washington University Hospital just after midnight following an extended refusal to eat and sometimes drink while imprisoned. The incident raised immediate concerns about his physical state and forced a rapid judicial intervention in the case.
The Alleged Attack and Criminal Charges
Prosecutors say Lakanwal opened fire on National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe in Washington, D.C., during the late fall of 2025. Beckstrom was pronounced dead the following day; Wolfe survived the attack. Lakanwal was charged with nine counts in February, including first-degree murder. He entered a not guilty plea to those charges.
Federal prosecutors have signaled their intent to pursue capital punishment in the case. The Justice Department views the alleged shooting as one of the most serious crimes within its jurisdiction.
Background and Immigration History
Lakanwal, who came to the United States in 2021, had previously worked as a contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency for more than a decade while stationed in Afghanistan. According to court filings, he traveled from Washington state to the nation’s capital in late November 2025, days before the shooting occurred.
His background in Afghanistan and prior work with U.S. intelligence agencies has formed part of the investigative backdrop in the case, though prosecutors have not publicly detailed any connection between that employment and the alleged shooting.
Hospital Admission and Judicial Review
Two weeks before his hospitalization, the U.S. Marshal Service alerted prosecutors to general health concerns affecting Lakanwal while in custody. His condition appears to have worsened significantly as his refusal to consume food and water continued.
Federal Judge Amit Mehta convened an emergency hearing Thursday to address Lakanwal’s deteriorating health. The judge characterized the situation in direct terms: “Mr. Lakanwal’s health circumstances is in some sense self-inflicted,” while also noting that his “health has deteriorated quite substantially.” Mehta granted prosecutors access to Lakanwal’s medical records from the preceding 24 hours—documents that had previously been sealed from public view.
The judge’s decision to unseal the recent medical records represents a significant shift in the court’s handling of health information in the case. Federal rules typically protect the privacy of an inmate’s medical history, but the emergency nature of Lakanwal’s hospitalization prompted the exception.
What Comes Next
As Lakanwal remains hospitalized, prosecutors will continue their capital case preparation while medical professionals assess his condition. The unusual circumstances—combining a serious federal murder charge, a death penalty prosecution, and Lakanwal’s apparent deliberate refusal to eat—present novel legal and medical questions about how the criminal justice system handles an accused defendant’s self-inflicted health crisis.
The case remains in the District of Columbia’s federal court system. No trial date has been set. Whether Lakanwal’s current hospitalization will affect the timeline for proceedings or his legal strategy remains unclear at this stage.
Lakanwal’s case adds to a broader national conversation about prison safety and inmate welfare, particularly in high-profile capital cases. Federal authorities will monitor his medical status closely in coming weeks as the prosecution advances.