Defendant in D.C. Shooting Hospitalized After Refusing Food and Water

An Afghan national defendant, accused of killing one National Guardsman and injuring another in Washington, D.C., is reportedly in “deplorable conditions” in a hospital after refusing both food and water. This situation came to light during an emergency court hearing.

Rahmanullah Rakanwal, 29, was taken to George Washington University Hospital this week after his health declined sharply while in prison, according to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. The judge spoke on Thursday about the severity of Rakanwal’s condition.

Currently, Rakanwal is facing pretrial detention for his charges related to the shooting incident involving a West Virginia Army National Guard Special Forces unit. He is accused of killing Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injuring U.S. Air Force Chief Andrew Wolf on November 26, 2025, in what was described as an ambush.

“Mr. Rakanwal’s health has worsened significantly, putting him in a dire condition,” Judge Mehta noted. He also mentioned that this state of health was “somewhat self-inflicted” since Rakanwal was refusing both food and, at times, water.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine informed the court that the U.S. Marshals Service had reported a “serious issue” regarding Rakanwal a couple of weeks prior.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would require access to Rakanwal’s medical records to consider any legal actions or recommendations for his health issues, though the judge would need to grant permission for that access.

Rakanwal’s public defender, Michelle Peterson, communicated concerns that the government might utilize his medical records for the trial defense. However, she eventually concurred to a request for limited medical records starting this week.

Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty for Rakanwal, who faces 17 charges, including first-degree premeditated murder of a National Guard member, attempted murder of three others, and assault with intent to kill. He has pleaded not guilty to all these allegations.

Prosecutors claim Rakanwal, equipped with a stolen Smith & Wesson revolver, ambushed Beckstrom, 20, and Wolf, 24, near the Farragut West subway station close to the White House, shooting them in the head.

Reportedly, he is a former Afghan special forces soldier who traveled from Washington State to carry out this attack.

Beckstrom passed away the day after the shooting, which was on Thanksgiving, while Mr. Wolfe has experienced “miraculous” recovery progress following his injuries. Notably, Rakanwal was shot and injured by a National Guard supervisor during the incident and had previously attended court hearings in a wheelchair.