Newly obtained footage shows a National Guardsman opening fire on Rahmanullah Lakanwal as the 29-year-old Afghan national carried out an ambush on two Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Thanksgiving eve.

The video, reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, shows Lakanwal brandishing a revolver during the attack.

According to witnesses, Lakanwal opened fire on National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, on a D.C. street.

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A third Guardsman, who was nearby, ran toward the scene while reloading his weapon.

The Journal reported that “five seconds later,” the Guardsman returned fire in the direction of the suspect.

Witness video shows the moment Afghan national attacked National Guard members in DC pic.twitter.com/bSOqXNacRQ

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 27, 2025

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Investigators have said that a review of surveillance footage showed a Guard member exchanging fire with the suspect before additional troops reached the scene.

As the New York Post reported, other Guard members “were able to run over and pin the gunman down as he was taken into custody.”

Images captured after the shooting show Beckstrom and Wolfe on the sidewalk.

President Donald Trump confirmed that Beckstrom later died from her injuries.

Wolfe remains hospitalized and in critical condition.

Authorities have identified Lakanwal as an Afghan refugee who entered the United States in 2021 on a temporary visa issued under the Biden-Harris administration.

Prosecutors have upgraded charges against him to first-degree murder following Beckstrom’s death.

Fox & Friends: “Are we going to see an escalation in charges against the [Afghan illegal alien]?”

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro: “Oh, there’s no question… [Rahmanullah Lakanwal] will now be charged with mu*der in the first degree. There are certainly many more charges… pic.twitter.com/h3njMC16ho

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) November 28, 2025

Attorney General Pam Bondi has stated that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty.

BREAKING: A livid AG Pam Bondi says the Afghan national will get the DEATH PENALTY if the two troops don’t make it out alive

Good.

“If something happens, I will tell you right now, I’ll tell you early – we will do EVERYTHING in our power to seek the death penalty against… pic.twitter.com/GxWse8OC6t

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 27, 2025

Federal officials say the investigation is ongoing as they continue reviewing video, witness accounts, and ballistic evidence related to the attack.

On Friday, President Trump announced new immigration directives in response to the incident.

He said he is ordering a “permanent pause” on migration from what he described as third-world countries and will move to end all illegal entries into the United States processed under the Biden-Harris administration.

“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions … and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country,” Trump wrote on social media.

A very Happy Thanksgiving salutation to all of our Great American Citizens and Patriots who have been so nice in allowing our Country to be divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at, along with certain other foolish countries throughout the World,…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2025

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