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The Trump administration says it’s now halting all asylum decisions, and the president warns it will last for *** long time. Last week’s shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members patrolling Washington DC left Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf in critical condition and US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom dead. While Beckstrom’s hometown community mourned her death over the holiday. Investigators are searching for *** motive behind the attack. The suspect currently faces *** first. Murder charge. Investigators say the Afghan national entered the US back in 2021 and worked with the CIA before the Trump administration granted him asylum. Now the White House is cutting off that path. The president says he’s pausing all decisions on asylum indefinitely and stopping visas for anyone traveling with an Afghan passport. Does that make sense? You know why we don’t want them? Because many have been no good and they shouldn’t be in our country. The president is also considering halting migration from so-called third world countries. He says the tougher stance is necessary to protect the country. And meanwhile, he’s invited the Beckstrom family to the White House reporting in Washington, I’m Amy Lou.
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The Justice Department said it will seek the death penalty for the man accused of shooting two National Guard members, and killing one of them, near the White House in November.The man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, pleaded not guilty to the nine charges against him — including first-degree murder — during his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.When Judge Amit Mehta pressed prosecutors on whether they would be pursuing additional charges that would allow them to seek the death penalty for Lakanwal, prosecutors waffled, eventually telling the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”According to court documents, Lakanwal traveled from Washington state to the capital city in late November before he ambushed the two officers, shooting them both in the head with a snub-nosed revolver.Another National Guard member, having heard the shots, pulled out his service weapon and shot Lakanwal, who fell to the ground and was quickly detained, court records say.Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guard members who was shot in the back of the head, was pronounced dead the next day. The other member, Andrew Wolfe, is still in recovery.Lakanwal worked with the CIA for over a decade in Afghanistan before the U.S. military withdrew from the country. He came to the U.S. in 2021.According to court records, Lakanwal had been given the pistol, which prosecutors say was stolen, by an unnamed person after Lakanwal said he needed a firearm to protect himself during his job driving for Uber and Lyft.Investigators say that, at the time, Lakanwal had been banned by Uber and had not been employed for around two months before the shooting.Initially, he wanted a firearm that could hold as much as a 30-round magazine, court documents say, and when given the revolver, asked “only five rounds?”Prosecutors also allege that on the same day that he was given the stolen firearm, Lakanwal went to a sporting goods store and purchased a box of bullets. Two hours later he allegedly searched “Washington, DC” in Google maps and, the next day, searched for the address of the White House.Ten days later he allegedly shot the two National Guards members two blocks from the White House.His next hearing in the case is scheduled for early May.
The Justice Department said it will seek the death penalty for the man accused of shooting two National Guard members, and killing one of them, near the White House in November.
The man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, pleaded not guilty to the nine charges against him — including first-degree murder — during his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.
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When Judge Amit Mehta pressed prosecutors on whether they would be pursuing additional charges that would allow them to seek the death penalty for Lakanwal, prosecutors waffled, eventually telling the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”
According to court documents, Lakanwal traveled from Washington state to the capital city in late November before he ambushed the two officers, shooting them both in the head with a snub-nosed revolver.
Another National Guard member, having heard the shots, pulled out his service weapon and shot Lakanwal, who fell to the ground and was quickly detained, court records say.
Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guard members who was shot in the back of the head, was pronounced dead the next day. The other member, Andrew Wolfe, is still in recovery.
Lakanwal worked with the CIA for over a decade in Afghanistan before the U.S. military withdrew from the country. He came to the U.S. in 2021.
According to court records, Lakanwal had been given the pistol, which prosecutors say was stolen, by an unnamed person after Lakanwal said he needed a firearm to protect himself during his job driving for Uber and Lyft.
Investigators say that, at the time, Lakanwal had been banned by Uber and had not been employed for around two months before the shooting.
Initially, he wanted a firearm that could hold as much as a 30-round magazine, court documents say, and when given the revolver, asked “only five rounds?”
Prosecutors also allege that on the same day that he was given the stolen firearm, Lakanwal went to a sporting goods store and purchased a box of bullets. Two hours later he allegedly searched “Washington, DC” in Google maps and, the next day, searched for the address of the White House.
Ten days later he allegedly shot the two National Guards members two blocks from the White House.
His next hearing in the case is scheduled for early May.
