National Guard soldier dies from wounds in D.C. shooting

27 Nov 2025, 22:25 by New York Times · Star-Advertiser

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ERIC LEE / NEW YORK TIMES

From left, FBI Director Kash Patel and Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard, the interim commander of the District of Columbia National Guard, stand next to photos of West Virginia National Guard soldiers Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom and shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal during a news conference in Washington Thursday.

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NATHAN HOWARD / REUTERS

Pictures of National Guard members Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom, who were shot Wednesday in Washington D.C., are displayed at a news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro and other authorities today.

One of the two National Guard troops shot in Washington died Thursday, a day after officials said an Afghan man who was once part of an anti-Taliban force supported by the CIA opened fire on the soldiers just a few blocks from the White House.

Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries, President Donald Trump told service members by video from his Mar-a-Lago resort and residence. “She was savagely attacked,” he said. “She’s dead.”

The other victim was identified as Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both of them, members of the West Virginia National Guard, had been deployed to Washington as part of what Trump had described as a crackdown on crime in the capital.

Earlier Thursday, Beckstrom’s father said in a brief interview that she had received a “mortal wound.” A man who answered the phone at Wolfe’s home asked for “prayers for my son,” but would not speak further.

The suspect, who was in custody after being badly wounded during the attack, was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Authorities said he had driven across the country from Washington state to carry out the attack. Overnight, FBI agents searched an apartment complex in Bellingham, Washington, where the suspect had been living. One neighbor said that a man had been pulled from his unit and was restrained. No further information was immediately available.

Lakanwal had entered the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era immigration program for Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover. After he was identified as the suspect, the Trump administration vowed a sweeping reexamination of immigrants from 19 nations “of concern” including Afghanistan. The administration said it would reexamine “every green card” for immigrants from the countries upon which he had imposed a travel ban on in June, which also included Haiti and Venezuela.

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Administration officials quickly criticized the Biden administration for allowing Lakanwal into the country in 2021 and said they were reviewing all asylum requests approved by the previous administration. Lakanwal, however, was granted asylum in April, after Trump’s return to office, according to three people with knowledge of the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Trump described the suspect as “nuts” and said there was “no vetting” by the Biden administration. Asked whether his administration had granted the asylum request, Trump deflected: “When it comes to asylum, when they’re flown in, it’s very hard to get them out,” he said. “No matter how you want to do it, it’s very hard to get them out, but we’re going to be getting them all out now.”

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, told reporters Thursday morning that the suspect used a .357 revolver, shooting one of the guard members and then firing again after the member fell to the ground before turning to fire on the other guard member. Pirro said that the suspect was being charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill. If either of the guard members did not survive, she added, he would be charged with first-degree murder.

Here’s what else to know:

>> Shooting victims: The two guard members who were shot Wednesday had been deployed to Washington since August, officials said.

>> Trump’s orders: Trump ordered 500 more National Guard troops to Washington, in addition to about 2,000 already there, though it was unclear when they would arrive or where they would come from.

>> CIA history: The suspect had been part of an Afghan partner force, known as a Zero Unit, trained and supported by the CIA in the southern province of Kandahar, officials said. A childhood friend said that Lakanwal had suffered from mental health issues and was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused.

>> Zero Units: Formerly known as Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams, Zero Units were trained to conduct night raids and clandestine missions across Afghanistan during the U.S. war in the country. But they also had a reputation for ruthlessness, and drew criticism from human rights groups. The suspect was assigned to the 03 unit, according to an Afghan intelligence official.

>> Deployments questioned: Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary suspension of Trump’s highly contentious deployment of guard troops to Washington, finding that it was likely to be illegal. The Trump administration asked for that decision to be blocked after the shooting.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

See more:America in Turmoil National news

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