Charges against the suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded after one of the victims died Thursday (November 28)

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, who was initially charged with three counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed and criminal possession of a weapon, will now face a first-degree murder charge, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced during an appearance on FOX & Friends Friday (November 27) morning.

“What happened at that crime is unmistakable. It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn’t know it was coming,” Pirro said. “This is a case that has touched the hearts of so many Americans … to be gunned down on the streets on the nation’s holiday is an outrage — and the individual who did this will pay the ultimate price.”

President Donald Trump announced the death of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard members involved in a "targeted" shooting, during a phone call with U.S. troops on Thursday.

“I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about — highly respected, young, magnificent person, started service in June of 2023 outstanding in every way — she’s just passed away, she’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” he said via NBC News.

Beckstrom's death came hours after her father, Gary, said she wasn't expected to survive after being reported to be in critical condition.

“She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery,” Gary told the New York Times.

“I’m holding her hand right now,” he added.

Sarah was reportedly shot in the head and chest during an incident that took place nearby the White House on Wednesday (November 26) afternoon. Officials also identified the second victim in critical condition as U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was also deployed to Washington, D.C., and serving on patrol prior to the shooting.

Lakanwal, an Afghan national, was identified as the shooter, officials and a relative confirmed via NBC News. Lakanwal was also shot during the incident and is also hospitalized, according to authorities.

The incident is believed to be a targeted shooting. A relative said that Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021, having previously served 10 years in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces troops, which included being stationed at a base in Kandahar.

“We were the ones that were targeted by the Taliban in Afghanistan,” the relative said, specifying that he and Lakanwal were supporting U.S. troops.

“I cannot believe it that he might do this,” he added.

Lakanwal came to the U.S. five months after former President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which resulted in the Taliban reclaiming power in the country. Lakanwal, who grew up in the Khost province, was reportedly living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children prior to the shooting and worked for Amazon and Amazon Flex when the relative had last spoken to him several months prior.

“I don’t know what happened,” the relative told NBC News. “I need your help to know why this happened.”