Andrew Wolfe, the West Virginia National Guard soldier shot in the head during a patrol in Washington DC on 26 November, is “slowly healing”, according to Governor Patrick Morrisey. Wolfe was attacked alongside fellow soldier Sarah Beckstrom, who died from her injuries the following day.
In a statement on his website, Governor Morrisey said Wolfe’s parents had reported that his head wound was healing slowly and that he was beginning to “look more like himself”. They expect him to remain in acute care for another two to three weeks but are optimistic about his progress. Wolfe joined the National Guard in 2019 and has received multiple commendations.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was charged on Tuesday with first-degree murder and other crimes. Lakanwal, an Afghan national, entered the US in 2021 after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. He had worked with the CIA in an Afghan counter-terrorism unit accused of human rights abuses. He was granted asylum in April under the Trump administration.
The shooting has drawn criticism of Governor Morrisey’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to Washington DC as part of a Trump administration initiative to address what was described as a “crime emergency”, despite the city reporting a 30-year low in violent crime. Democratic state lawmakers have argued that the deployment was unnecessary political theatre.
After the shooting, another National Guard soldier shot Lakanwal, who made an initial court appearance from his hospital bed. The US attorney general has indicated she may seek the death penalty, and further charges are expected. His next court date is provisionally set for 14 January.
