Rahmanullah Lakanwal pleads not guilty in US National Guard shooting trial

Rahmanullah Lakanwal's attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a brief court hearing related to November 26 shooting

A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House, reportedly pleaded not guilty on Tuesday on the charges of murder and assault in his first appearance before the judge, virtually from a hospital bed.

Meanwhile, the magistrate judge ordered Lakanwal detained, citing the “sheer terror that resulted” from his actions.(AFP)

The man named Rahmanullah Lakanwal is an Afghan national who was also shot and is facing charges from the November 26 shooting that killed specialist Sarah Beckstrom and wounded National Guard member Andrew Wolfe.

Lakanwal's attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a brief court hearing in Washington, DC, Associated Press reported.

Authorities were investigating a possible motive for what they described as an ambush-style attack. As per the report, prosecutor Ariel Dean described the attack as a “shocking crime” and said that it appears that Lakanwal “traversed the city to some extent” before approaching the troops and shooting them.

Meanwhile, the magistrate judge ordered Lakanwal detained, citing the “sheer terror that resulted” from his actions.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard. Troops have been in DC since President Donald Trump called for their deployment in August

Lakanwal entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that began under the Biden administration that resettled Afghans. Lakanwal applied for asylum under the Biden administration, but it was approved under Trump.

Calling the shooting a “terrorist attack,” Trump earlier criticised the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with US forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the US. The president has said he wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country.