A man charged with killing a National Guard member in Washington, D.C., has been admitted to a hospital after refusing food — and sometimes water — while awaiting trial, raising urgent legal and medical questions before a federal judge this week.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who faces nine criminal charges including first-degree murder in connection with a 2025 shooting that left one National Guard member dead and another wounded, was taken to George Washington University Hospital at midnight following an emergency hearing before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.
A Fatal Attack and a High-Stakes Case
The shooting targeted two National Guard members in the nation’s capital. Sarah Beckstrom was shot in the back of the head and died the following day. Andrew Wolfe survived the attack. Prosecutors allege Lakanwal traveled from Washington state to the District of Columbia in late November 2025 before carrying out the assault.
Lakanwal entered a not guilty plea to all nine charges against him in February. Despite the gravity of the allegations, the case has become further complicated by his deteriorating physical condition while in federal custody. The Department of Justice has announced plans to seek the death penalty against him.
Adding a layer of complexity to the case is Lakanwal’s background. He worked with the Central Intelligence Agency for more than a decade in Afghanistan prior to the U.S. military withdrawal from that country, and he arrived in the United States in 2021 as part of the broader resettlement of Afghan allies following the withdrawal.
Emergency Hearing Triggered by Health Decline
The U.S. Marshals Service first alerted prosecutors to Lakanwal’s declining health roughly two weeks before Thursday’s emergency hearing. His refusal to eat — and at times to drink — prompted officials to seek immediate judicial intervention.
Judge Mehta did not mince words about the seriousness of the situation. “The health of Rahmanullah Lakanwal has deteriorated in a quite substantial way,” the judge said during the hearing. At the same time, Mehta noted the unusual nature of the circumstances: “The circumstances of Mr. Lakanwal’s health are in a sense self-inflicted.”
Following the hearing, Judge Mehta authorized federal prosecutors to access Lakanwal’s medical records from the previous 24 hours. The move was aimed at giving the government visibility into the scope of his condition as the court considers next steps in the proceedings.
His admission to the hospital at midnight marked a significant escalation in what has already become one of the more high-profile federal criminal cases stemming from 2025. The case draws national attention not only because of the victims — active-duty National Guard personnel — but also because of Lakanwal’s documented history of cooperation with U.S. intelligence operations abroad.
Legal and Medical Questions Ahead
The intersection of a capital case and a defendant’s rapidly worsening health presents difficult terrain for the court. Whether Lakanwal’s condition will affect the trial schedule, his competency proceedings, or the broader legal strategy from either side remains to be seen.
Federal officials have offered no public indication that the health situation will lead to a delay in seeking the death penalty, though the logistics of prosecuting a capital case against a hospitalized defendant add procedural uncertainty to an already complex proceeding.
For the families of the victims — particularly the family of Sarah Beckstrom, who died as a result of the attack — the delays and complications represent continued grief and a prolonged wait for resolution in the courts.
Emergency medical situations in federal custody are not uncommon in high-profile cases, though cases involving a defendant’s deliberate refusal to eat raise distinct ethical and legal questions about force-feeding, competency, and the state’s responsibility to keep a defendant healthy enough to stand trial.
What Comes Next
Judge Mehta’s review of Lakanwal’s medical records is expected to inform the court’s next steps, which could include additional hearings on his competency or physical fitness to proceed. No new trial date has been publicly set. The Department of Justice has not announced any changes to its plans to pursue capital punishment. Developments in the case are expected to continue as Lakanwal remains under hospital care.
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