A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House, killing one, has been hospitalized in a life-threatening condition after refusing to eat while in pretrial custody, prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Justice Department prosecutors said they learned Thursday morning that Rahmanullah Lakanwal was rushed to a hospital overnight "for medical treatment necessary to preserve his life." The U.S. Marshals Service notified prosecutors last month of concerns that Lakanwal was at risk of long-term health consequences, including death, due to his "refusal to consume adequate nutrition for an extended period," the filing says.
The filing doesn't elaborate on the circumstances of Lakanwal's refusal to eat, but prosecutors noted that courts have held that prison officials can involuntary feed "hunger-striking prisoners" to save their lives.
The judge presiding over Lakanwal's case convened an emergency hearing related to the defendant's medical condition while he remains in federal custody. At the end of the hearing, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta instructed prosecutors to submit a proposed order that would give them access to Lakanwal's recent medical records.
Defense attorney Shelli Peterson and a spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office declined to comment after the hearing.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national, has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder in the November 2025 shooting that killed West Virginia National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe.
Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were deployed from West Virginia to Washington, D.C., for the surge of federal law-enforcement patrols that began last summer.