FBI issues update on National Guard shooting as case forms part of ‘sprawling international terrorism investigation’

FBI Director Kash Patel has issued a new statement regarding last week’s harrowing National Guard shooting, which took place just blocks away from the White House.

Two National Guard members were shot on November 26 at roughly 2:20 p.m. ET near the entrance to the Farragut West Metro station, close to the busy 17th and I St NW intersection in the capital.

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were both shot while carrying out their duties, with Beckstrom later dying of her injuries in hospital, as Wolfe continues to recover.

A single suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was arrested in connection with the incident and subsequently charged with first-degree murder, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

Kash Patel issued an update on the investigation into last week's National Guard shooting (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)

However, despite having a suspect in custody, Patel has revealed that the investigation is far from over, telling Fox News on Tuesday night that 'no stone would be left unturned'.

He said: “First and foremost, our prayers to the family of the fallen soldier and our prayers to the family of hopefully this individual who continues to recover.

“This is a sprawling international terrorism investigation that the FBI is leading out on, and we are making sure we work with our interagency partners and have already issued dozens of pieces of legal processes, dozens of devices.

“We’ve already hit two houses and interviewed many individuals associated with the subject and that investigation’s going to continue on to anyone and everyone this person ever spoke to.

Sarah Beckstrom was killed in last week's shooting (Department of Justice)

“We are not going to leave any stone unturned. We’re going to collect the evidence. We’re going to hand this off to our partners at DOJ and make sure he’s prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“Anyone else that was responsible for this heinous attack will be held to the same account.”

According to officials, Lakanwal came to the US from Afghanistan in 2021, under a programme which offered special immigration protections to Afghans in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

At the time, the Taliban had seized control of Afghanistan, leading many former Afghan people that had co-operated with the west fearing they may be attacked for having aligned themselves with the US.

Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition (Department of Justice)

As per the BBC, Lakanwal had helped guard US forces at Kabul airport in 2021 as thousands scrambled to escape Afghanistan.

The suspect had been recruited to Unit 03 of the Kandahar Strike Force, a specialist unit operating initially under the CIA but eventually for the Afghan intelligence department.

He applied for asylum in 2024, and his application was granted earlier this year.