Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The man accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House has been given federal charges, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, of Bellingham, Wash., is a citizen of Afghanistan. He pleaded not guilty in a Washington, D.C., court on Dec. 2. He is accused of killing Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and shooting Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, who were patrolling on foot near the White House when they were shot on Nov. 26.
Lakanwal was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court with federal charges for the shooting, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced.
"The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here," Pirro said in a statement.
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