The criminal case against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan man accused of shooting two US National Guard members near the White House, has been transferred from the US Supreme Court to a state court, Fox News reported.
The US broadcaster said the transfer of Lakanwal’s case and the filing of new federal charges could open the way for prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney cited by Fox News, said the move would allow authorities to conduct a thorough legal review of whether capital punishment should be pursued.
“Transferring this case to district court ensures that we can carry out the serious, measured and precise analysis required to determine whether the death penalty is appropriate,” Pirro was quoted as saying.
Laknwal, an Afghan national, was accused on Nov. 27 of opening fire in an ambush-style attack on two US National Guard members in Washington, DC, near the White House complex.
Both service members were wounded in the shooting, and Lakanwal was injured before being arrested by police, according to authorities.
US President Donald Trump described the shooting as a “terrorist incident” and condemned it in public remarks following the attack.
In the aftermath, Trump suspended several US refugee admission programmes for Afghan nationals and ordered US consulates worldwide to halt the issuance of visas to Afghan citizens.
The measures drew criticism from refugee advocacy groups and Afghan migrant activists in the United States, who described them as “collective punishment” and called for the orders to be rescinded.
