• Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of two National Guardsmen.
• U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the upgrade from initial assault charges after one victim died.
• The incident has prompted President Trump to propose a halt on all immigration from "third world countries."

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is facing upgraded charges of first-degree murder following the death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who succumbed to her wounds after being shot near the White House. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed on Friday that charges against Lakanwal had been elevated from assault to murder, stating, "There are certainly many more charges to come" after the fatal shooting on November 26, 2025, which also left another guard member, Andrew Wolfe, in critical condition, according to SCMP and ABC News.

The shooting occurred in an apparent ambush as Lakanwal drove from Washington state to Washington, D.C., using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, targeting the two guardsmen as they were on patrol. Police and federal authorities are investigating the shooting as a terrorist attack, with Pirro remarking, "What happened at that crime is unmistakable. It is a premeditated murder,” as reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Following the incident, President Trump declared intentions to suspend all immigration from "third world countries," as part of a broader crackdown on immigration he has linked to safety and security concerns. He stated that this action would allow for a reevaluation of immigration policies, specifically targeting countries previously named in travel bans, according to Los Angeles Times and Channel News Asia.

The suspect arrived in the U.S. in 2021 through the "Operation Allies Welcome" program, which provided asylum to Afghan nationals who aided U.S. forces during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan. Lakanwal was granted asylum in April 2025. However, there are growing concerns over the vetting processes and the implications of his violent actions, which have intensified top-level discussions on immigration reform, as noted by Le Monde and Anadolu Agency.

Lakanwal's affiliation with a CIA-backed initiative in Afghanistan has raised further questions about his background and the implications of U.S. immigration policy failures. Critics, including advocacy groups, warn that using this incident as a justification for blanket immigration bans could lead to harmful consequences for refugees and asylum seekers who genuinely need protection, according to SCMP and Reuters.