One of two US National Guard soldiers shot in a targeted attack near the White House has died, while the second is fighting for his life, President Donald Trump has announced. During a Thanksgiving call to US troops, Trump said he had been informed that Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had succumbed to her wounds. 'She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us,' Trump said of Beckstrom, who joined the West Virginia National Guard in June 2023.
The second Guard member, Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, was described by Trump as 'fighting for his life'. The alleged assailant, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, now faces upgraded charges of first-degree murder following Beckstrom's death, according to Jeanne Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia. Federal authorities are treating the shooting as an act of terrorism, with FBI Director Kash Patel confirming that search warrants had been executed in Washington state and California.
Beckstrom, from Webster Springs, West Virginia, had served with the Guard since June 2023. Her father, Gary Beckstrom, told the New York Times earlier in the day that his daughter was unlikely to recover, saying, 'She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.' West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey praised Beckstrom for serving 'with courage, extraordinary resolve and an unwavering sense of duty'.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national, had previously worked for CIA-backed anti-terrorism units in Afghanistan and entered the US in 2021 under a resettlement programme following the chaotic US withdrawal. He was granted asylum in April of this year under the Trump administration, according to Reuters. Trump described the suspect as a 'savage monster', and Attorney General Pam Bondi has urged prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
Investigators said Lakanwal drove across the country to launch an 'ambush-style' attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. He shot one guard member twice before turning to fire at the second, according to Pirro. Lakanwal was shot at the scene by a third Guard member and is being treated in hospital; his wounds are not believed to be life-threatening. A former landlord said he had been living in Washington state with his wife and five children.
