Afghan man charged in D.C. shooting that killed a U.S. soldier and injured another.

An Afghan man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was charged with first-degree murder and assault after fatally shooting West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically injuring Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, in a Nov. 26 shooting in Washington, D.C. Lakanwal, who served in a CIA-backed Afghan unit and entered the U.S. in 2021 via Operation Allies Welcome, pleaded not guilty during a remote court appearance while hospitalized. Afghanistan’s foreign minister called the attack an isolated incident, rejecting any generalization about Afghan people, and criticized the U.S. evacuation process as unlawful. In response, the U.S. has paused asylum applications and strengthened vetting for certain immigrants.