{"id":2652534,"date":"2026-08-31T18:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T22:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-orders-force-feeding-for-suspect-in-deadly-national-guard-shooting\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T18:07:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T22:07:18","slug":"judge-orders-force-feeding-for-suspect-in-deadly-national-guard-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-orders-force-feeding-for-suspect-in-deadly-national-guard-shooting\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge orders force-feeding for suspect in deadly National Guard shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-orders-force-feeding-for-suspect-in-deadly-national-guard-shooting%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2652534&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A federal judge authorized force-feeding for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting at National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., after he refused to eat and starved himself while in custody. Judge Amit Mehta ordered &#8220;nonconsensual nutrition and medical treatment&#8221; to save Lakanwal\u2019s life until he accepts adequate food and liquids, with the possibility of extending the order beyond October 28. Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan, is charged with multiple federal and D.C. charges related to a shooting incident near the White House on november 26, 2025, in which he shot and wounded two service members before being subdued. He pleaded not guilty to 17 charges, including murder and attempted murder of federal officers. The U.S. Marshals are overseeing his custody, and the Department of Justice is considering seeking the death penalty. Lakanwal allegedly drove from Washington state to D.C.with a stolen firearm and carried out the attack unprovoked, after which he was hospitalized due to his refusal to eat.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A federal judge ordered the man accused of targeting and shooting<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-guard\/\"> National Guard<\/a> troops in downtown <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\">Washington, D.C.<\/a>, to be force-fed after he was rushed to the hospital in July after starving himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, over the weekend authorized \u201cnonconsensual nutrition and medical treatment\u201d for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, which allows medical staff to feed Lakanwal through a medical tube to save his life.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4706681\/judge-denies-trump-administration-bid-lift-temporary-block-on-mail-ballot-order\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Judge denies Trump administration bid to lift temporary block on mail-ballot order<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4705930\/anarchist-tech-investigation-trump-terrorism-crackdown\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Anarchist tech collective braces for investigation amid Trump\u2019s terrorism crackdown<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4705394\/judge-us-cannot-deport-noncitizen-students-criticize-israel\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Federal judge says US cannot deport noncitizen students who criticize Israel<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his order, Mehta said the authorization will remain in effect \u201cuntil adequate oral intake of food and liquid and adequate acceptance of medical treatment is achieved and defendant\u2019s life is no longer threatened,\u201d and officials may apply to extend the order after Oct. 28.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is accused of fatally shooting\u00a0West Virginia Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in an attack blocks away from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> on Nov. 26, 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lakanwal <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4611386\/rahmanullah-lakanwal-accused-shooting-national-guardsmen-pleads-not-guilty\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4611386\/rahmanullah-lakanwal-accused-shooting-national-guardsmen-pleads-not-guilty\/\">pleaded not guilty to 17<\/a> charges, which include federal charges for murder of a person assisting a federal officer, three counts of attempted murder of a person assisting a federal officer, discharge of a firearm causing death, and three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence. He also faces charges under the D.C. Code for first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and possession of a firearm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/us-marshals-service\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4014\">U.S. Marshals Service<\/a> has custody of Lakanwal during pretrial proceedings, but attorneys with the Department of Justice petitioned the court to intervene to ensure he remains alive to face trial. The<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"167\"> DOJ<\/a> is simultaneously weighing whether or not to seek the death penalty for Lakanwal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4683633\/trump-winning-issue-republicans-midterm-boost\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4683633\/trump-winning-issue-republicans-midterm-boost\/\">TRUMP\u2019S WINNING ISSUE THAT COULD GIVE REPUBLICANS A MIDTERM BOOST<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting in July, Lakanwal refused to eat and, in some cases, drink water, leading to his hospitalization. The U.S. Marshals Service said in a July court filing that it cannot allow an individual to starve themselves while in custody.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lakanwal allegedly drove a Toyota Prius from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., while in possession of a stolen firearm. Prosecutors say that on the afternoon of Nov. 26, 2025, he opened fire without provocation at 17th and I Streets NW, near Farragut Square, striking Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head. Two Army National Guard majors who were nearby intervened and subdued him at the scene.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Judge orders force-feeding of man accused of shooting National Guard in D.C<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2652535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26035596794841.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35509,84941,50433,37479,4230],"class_list":["post-2652534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-court-decision","tag-force-feeding-2","tag-judge-2","tag-national-guard","tag-suspect"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26035596794841.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2652534"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2652538,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652534\/revisions\/2652538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2652535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2652534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2652534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2652534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}