Afghan citizen Rahmanullah Lakhanwal, accused of attacking and killing National Guard servicemen near the White House on November 26, pleaded not guilty during his first court hearing, which took place via video link directly from his hospital bed. This was reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
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On Tuesday, during a brief court hearing in Washington, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakhanwal, who was also injured in the incident, through his lawyer denied the charges of murder and assault.
The shooting, which prosecutor Ariel Dean called a "shocking crime," resulted in the death of 20-year-old servicewoman Sarah Beckstrom and the injury of 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. The West Virginia National Guard servicemen were in the capital to reinforce law enforcement.
The prosecutor noted that Lakhanwal appeared to have "likely crossed the city" to carry out what authorities are investigating as an ambush-style attack. The magistrate judge ordered the accused to be detained without bail, citing the "sheer horror that resulted" from his actions.