Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Nov 30: An Afghan national arrested just a day before the deadly shooting near the White House has been charged at the state level in Texas for making a terrorist threat, according to Fox News.

Authorities said Mohammad Dawood Alokozay was taken into custody on Tuesday after he posted a TikTok video allegedly showing he was making a bomb with the intent to target a building in Fort Worth. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrest, noting that Alokozay had entered the US under the “Operation Allies Welcome” programme during Joe Biden’s presidency following the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The same programme brought in Rahmanullah Lakanwal (29), the suspect accused of fatally shooting two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday. One of the victims, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries, while the second member remains hospitalised.

Alokozay was arrested in a joint operation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer against him following his arrest.

Meanwhile, Lakanwal is set to face first-degree murder charges, with officials indicating that more counts may follow. The Washington Post reported that the upgraded charges open the possibility of the death penalty. Although Washington, DC does not have capital punishment, Attorney General Pam Bondi said she will pursue it in this case.

In August, US President Donald Trump had announced that his administration would seek capital punishment for all murder cases in Washington, DC. On Friday, he also declared that migration from all “third-world countries” would be permanently paused to clamp down on illegal admissions into the United States.