WASHINGTON: The suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members in an ambush in downtown Washington, D.C., last week was charged on Tuesday with murder and other offenses as he made his first court appearance, appearing remotely from a hospital bed. A judge ordered Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, held in custody without bond, citing the “sheer terror” of the shooting blocks from the White House that killed one member of the National Guard and critically injured a second. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“It is fairly clear that he came across the country, 3,000 miles, armed, with a specific purpose in mind,” Renee Raymond, a magistrate judge in Washington, D.C., Superior Court, said during the hearing.
A lawyer for Lakanwal pushed for his release, citing his lack of criminal history.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national, traveled from Washington state to the US capital to carry out the attack, prosecutors alleged. A major in the Army National Guard of West Virginia shot Lakanwal and other members of the National Guard and a US Secret Service officer then subdued him, according to the complaint.
Lakanwal wore a hospital gown and appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open during a roughly half-hour proceeding. A translator recounted the proceedings to him.
Lakanwal is facing four criminal counts including first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill while armed, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint alleges he yelled “Allahu akbar!” meaning “God is Greatest,” as he fired at Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and her fellow Guard member Andrew Wolfe, 24. They were in Washington to support law enforcement as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime.
Beckstrom died the following day.
Lakanwal’s status as an Afghan immigrant who entered the US in 2021 under a program started by then-President Joe Biden to resettle thousands of Afghans who assisted the US during the Afghanistan war quickly became a flashpoint in Trump’s immigration crackdown. He was granted asylum under Trump.
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Washington shooting suspect pleads not guilty to murder, ordered detained
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Washington shooting suspect pleads not guilty to murder, ordered detained
- A lawyer for Lakanwal pushed for his release, citing his lack of criminal history
EU leaders gather to discuss a massive loan to Ukraine
BRUSSELS: European Union leaders are gathering Thursday for a summit aimed at agreeing on a massive loan to cover Ukraine’s military and other financial needs for the next two years.
The leaders will also discuss migration, the bloc’s enlargement policy, trade and economies, but working out how to fund most of the 137 billion euros ($160 billion) the International Monetary Fund says war-ravaged Ukraine needs is top priority.
“It is up to us to choose how we fund Ukraine’s fight. We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers on the eve of the summit.
European Council President António Costa, who is chairing Thursday’s meeting in Brussels, has vowed to keep leaders negotiating until an agreement is reached, even if it takes days.
Many leaders will press for tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets held in Europe to be used to meet Ukraine’s economic and military needs.
Such a decision has never been made before, and it comes with risks. The European Central Bank has warned that if Europeans appear willing to grab other countries’ money, it could undermine confidence in the euro. Some member nations are also concerned about inviting retaliation from Russia.
Belgium, where most of the frozen assets are held at a financial clearing house, is the main opponent of the plan. It fears that Russia will strike back and would prefer that the bloc borrow the money on international markets.
Last week, the Russian Central Bank sued the Belgian clearing house Euroclear in a Moscow court, raising pressure on Belgium and its European partners ahead of the summit.
Hungary and Slovakia oppose von der Leyen’s plan for a “reparations loan.” Some 90 billion euros ($105 billion) would be lent to Ukraine until Russia ends its war and pays for the damage it has caused over almost four years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that totals more than 600 billion euros ($700 billion).
The UK, Canada and Norway would fill the gap beyond the 90 billion euros ($105 billion).
Bulgaria, Italy and Malta also remain to be convinced. In recent weeks, EU envoys have worked to flesh out the details and narrow differences among the 27 member countries. If enough countries object, the plan could be blocked. There is no majority support for a plan B of raising the funds on international markets.
The leaders will also discuss migration, the bloc’s enlargement policy, trade and economies, but working out how to fund most of the 137 billion euros ($160 billion) the International Monetary Fund says war-ravaged Ukraine needs is top priority.
“It is up to us to choose how we fund Ukraine’s fight. We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers on the eve of the summit.
European Council President António Costa, who is chairing Thursday’s meeting in Brussels, has vowed to keep leaders negotiating until an agreement is reached, even if it takes days.
Many leaders will press for tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets held in Europe to be used to meet Ukraine’s economic and military needs.
Such a decision has never been made before, and it comes with risks. The European Central Bank has warned that if Europeans appear willing to grab other countries’ money, it could undermine confidence in the euro. Some member nations are also concerned about inviting retaliation from Russia.
Belgium, where most of the frozen assets are held at a financial clearing house, is the main opponent of the plan. It fears that Russia will strike back and would prefer that the bloc borrow the money on international markets.
Last week, the Russian Central Bank sued the Belgian clearing house Euroclear in a Moscow court, raising pressure on Belgium and its European partners ahead of the summit.
Hungary and Slovakia oppose von der Leyen’s plan for a “reparations loan.” Some 90 billion euros ($105 billion) would be lent to Ukraine until Russia ends its war and pays for the damage it has caused over almost four years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that totals more than 600 billion euros ($700 billion).
The UK, Canada and Norway would fill the gap beyond the 90 billion euros ($105 billion).
Bulgaria, Italy and Malta also remain to be convinced. In recent weeks, EU envoys have worked to flesh out the details and narrow differences among the 27 member countries. If enough countries object, the plan could be blocked. There is no majority support for a plan B of raising the funds on international markets.
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