Man charged in National Guard shooting pleads not guilty from hospital bed

Authorities were investigating a possible motive for what they described as an ambush-style attack

A makeshift memorial for Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe was created near the site of the attack in Washington. Picture: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

A man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House has pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges during his first appearance before a judge by video link from a hospital bed.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot, faces charges stemming from the November 26 shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounded Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24. His lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a brief court hearing in Washington, DC.