The Afghan man accused of gunning down two National Guard troops in Washington DC will now face a charge of first-degree murder.
It follows the death of 20-year-old service member Sarah Beckstrom, who was one of the soldiers shot in the incident earlier this week.
The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is also facing three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The US Department of Justice confirmed it would be upgrading its charges against Lakanwal.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
US Attorney for Washington DC, Jeanine Pirro, initially announced the move while speaking on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" program.
"It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn't know what was coming," Ms Pirro told the network."
And that is the homicide, and that is the murder that we're looking at right now, she explained.
President Trump confirmed that Ms Beckstrom had died from her injuries while on a Thanksgiving call with US service members.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan accused of the shooting in DC, is now facing a first degree murder charge
|REUTERS
"Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we're talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person... She's just passed away. She's no longer with us," he said.
The second National Guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, "is fighting for his life", the US leader also informed.
"I want to express the anguish and the horror of our entire nation that the terrorist attack yesterday in our nation's capital, in which a savage monster gunned down two service members in the West Virginia National Guard, who were deployed as part of the DC Task Force," Mr Trump continued.
He added the suspect's "atrocity reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Sarah Beckstrom tragically died from her injuries sustained in the shooting
|REUTERS
Following Wednesday's shooting, the FBI searched multiple properties connected to Lakanwal in a widening probe, including a home in Washington state linked to the suspect.
Officials said he was part of a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan before coming to the US in 2021 as part of "Operation Allies Welcome" in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from his country, similar to Britain's own covered-up relocation scheme.
Agents seized numerous electronic devices from his home, including mobile phones, laptops, and iPads, and interviewed his relatives, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Ms Pirro said the suspect drove cross-country and then ambushed the Guard members while they were patrolling near the White House.
The shooting occurred on Wednesday in the US capital, just a short walk from the White House
|GETTY
The United States immediately suspended all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals following the attack.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, US immigration authorities confirmed: "Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
"The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission."
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News