Judge orders access to records after accused Guard shooter hospitalized

A federal judge ordered prosecutors to submit a proposed order for Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s recent medical records after the accused Guard shooter was hospitalized overnight following a refusal to eat in pretrial custody. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta held an emergency hearing.

On July 9, 2026, prosecutors told the court that Lakanwal had been rushed to a hospital for treatment necessary to preserve his life. The U.S. Marshals Service had already warned that his refusal to consume adequate nutrition for an extended period could lead to long-term health consequences, including death. The hearing centered on whether Lakanwal was on a hunger strike, what conditions he faced in custody and how far the government can go to monitor or intervene when a detainee becomes medically unstable.

Defense counsel and the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment after the hearing. Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and related charges tied to the November 26, 2025 shooting that killed West Virginia National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom died the next day, on November 27, 2025.

The shooting happened at about 2:13 p.m. near 17th and I Streets NW by the Farragut West Metro Station, only a few blocks from the White House. A D.C. Superior Court judge found probable cause and ordered Lakanwal held without bond pending a preliminary hearing.

Investigators recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023. Two National Guard majors subdued Lakanwal at the scene. In a January 9, 2026 indictment, prosecutors added two assault-with-intent-to-kill counts for those additional Guard members, along with transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce and multiple firearm-possession counts. Lakanwal drove from Washington state to the District of Columbia in a Toyota Prius.

After the attack, the Trump administration ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington.