The Afghan national implicated in the fatal shooting of a National Guard member and a subsequent attack near the White House last year has been moved from his prison cell to a medical facility. This transfer followed his decision to abstain from food and water, according to court documentation.

Federal prosecutors informed the court that Rahmanullah Lakanwal was admitted to the hospital close to midnight on Wednesday to “preserve his life.” This action was preceded by warnings from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in June, indicating that Lakanwal’s prolonged refusal to intake sufficient nutrition posed serious health risks.

Court documents reveal that USMS officials expressed concern over Lakanwal’s self-imposed risk of severe health issues, potentially even death, due to his refusal to eat or drink.

During an emergency court session late Thursday morning, D.C. District Judge Amit Mehta described Lakanwal’s health situation as “dire” and “self-inflicted,” per a transcript obtained by The New York Times.

Lakanwal, 30, is accused of killing West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and severely wounding Guardsman Andrew Wolfe in last November’s attack. He faces 17 charges, the most serious of which — the first-degree murder charge — makes him eligible for the death penalty.

In the most recent court filing, prosecutors told Mehta that on June 16, 2026 — the day Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to all the charges — they learned about a protective order that “prohibited the government from receiving medical records concerning Lakanwal’s treatment.”

The judge ruled that prosecutors had a right to have access to Lakanwal’s medical records and his treatment providers for “the duration of his current hospitalization.”

Last month, Lakanwal made his first appearance in court, months after the Washington, D.C., shooting. He was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and was in a wheelchair.

On November 26, Lakanwal allegedly drove his Toyota Prius from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to the District of Columbia while in possession of a stolen firearm, according to court records.

Prosecutors said he opened fire on West Virginia National Guard members, striking Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head. Two nearby National Guard members then subdued Lakanwal at the scene, officials said.

Investigators reportedly recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had been reported stolen in Seattle in 2023.

Officials said Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thanksgiving, while Wolfe continues to recover from his injuries.

Beckstrom was posthumously awarded the West Virginia Distinguished Service Medal, while Wolfe was recently given the “Freedom 250: Hometown Hero Award.” Both of them were awarded the Purple Heart by President Donald Trump in February.

Tragedy struck earlier this week when former Champions League player Gabriel Muresan, a Romanian national, passed away in a drowning accident at a lake, according to reports from local media outlets.

The 44-year-old was pronounced dead after he was pulled from the water by firefighters and transported to a nearby hospital, where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Firefighters reportedly pulled him from a lake midweek and he was rushed to a local hospital, but medics couldn’t revive him. 

Initial investigations suggest that the incident may have been triggered by thermal shock upon entering the lake, contributing to the unfortunate series of events.

Aside from his athletic achievements, Muresan was also serving as the mayor of Apold, a town in Transylvania, since his election in 2020. The local town hall has issued a statement following the sad news of his passing.

“Today we are all experiencing great pain. We express our deep sadness at the news of the passing away of Gabi Muresan, mayor and devoted servant of our community,” his town hall announced. 

“In these moments of difficult trial, we send sincere condolences to the grieving family and to all those who knew and cherished him.”

“Our community will keep his memory alive, and will be grateful for everything he did for the people and for the Apold commune.” 

The Romanian soccer federation also paid tribute to Muresan. 

“The Romanian Football Federation sends its most sincere condolences to the family, friends, and all those who knew Gabriel Muresan,” the statement said. “May God rest him!” 

The midfielder had an illustrious career and was best remembered for his stint with CFR Cluj, where he made over 130 appearances and won three Liga I titles, along with three Romanian Cups. 

He also captained Cluj during historic UEFA Champions League campaigns and competed in group-stage matches against powerhouses like Manchester United, Chelsea and AS Roma. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Eight helicopter pilots from the South Carolina National Guard have been reinstated to their flying positions after being temporarily grounded. Their suspension arose from a low-altitude display during a July 4 event held to honor servicemembers.

“Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,” announced Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on social media Friday morning. “Carry on Patriots.”

The suspension followed the “Salute from the Shore,” a popular Independence Day celebration in South Carolina that has been held annually since 2010. The event features a procession of both historical and contemporary military aircraft flying along the 187-mile coastline, aiming to stir patriotic feelings among the thousands of beachgoers present.

This year’s lineup included F-16 jets from the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing, based at McEntire Joint Base, along with a C-17 aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing stationed at Joint Base Charleston. Notably, Apache helicopters joined the aerial festivities for the very first time, alongside civilian-owned vintage planes like the T-34s and T-6s.

Many spectators routinely share videos of the event on social media, but this year, footage depicting Apaches flying conspicuously low over densely populated beaches raised safety concerns. This prompted the South Carolina National Guard to initiate a review and temporarily suspend the eight pilots. They later clarified that the suspension was a standard safety precaution and not a punitive measure.

Late Thursday night, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted on social media that the Pentagon was getting involved, writing, “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.”

South Carolina Republicans rebuked the suspension, too. Rep. Russell Fry, who represents the Myrtle Beach area, said Thursday that the pilots “should be celebrated, not sanctioned.”

Less than two hours before Parnell’s post noting the suspension had been lifted, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster — who serves as commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard — said Friday he trusted the pilots’ acumen, writing in a social media post that Guardsmen fly in wartime.

“Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary,” McMaster wrote.

Officials with McMaster’s office and South Carolina National Guard did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Friday, including whether McMaster — a longtime ally of President Donald Trump — had directly intervened. The Pentagon declined to comment beyond Parnell’s statement.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at