A first appearance after the attack in Washington. The man accused of shooting two National Guardsmen, one of whom died, in Washington on November 26, pleaded not guilty to charges including murder on Tuesday for his first appearance in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in Washington.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan and former collaborator of the American army, appeared virtually from his hospital bed, he who was injured in the head by return fire. He entered the United States in September 2021 as part of a vast operation to evacuate Afghans who collaborated with the Americans against the Taliban.
He could have been “radicalized” in the United States, Minister of Homeland Security Kristi Noem assured Sunday, without providing substantial information on his motivations.
One of the attacker’s lawyers requested his client’s release, explaining that he has no criminal record, but the judge ordered him to remain in detention without the possibility of release on bail. According to CNN, the prosecutor argued that the seriousness of the charges, including first-degree murder with a firearm, justified his pretrial detention.