National Guard member dies day after DC shooting, another critical, says Trump

The shooting, which unfolded just blocks from the White House, left both soldiers in critical condition before Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan who spent years in one of the CIA's most secretive combat units, was arrested.

In Short

• US President Trump confirmed her death and praised her bravery
• Second soldier Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition
• Suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal linked to CIA-backed Afghan unit

US President Donald Trump on Thursday evening announced that US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of two West Virginia National Guard members injured in a “targeted shooting” near the White House a day earlier, has died.

Speaking while making calls to US military personnel on Thanksgiving, Trump described Beckstrom, 20, as a “highly respected, young, magnificent person” and said, “She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her. It’s just happened.

The other Guard member injured in the attack, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.

"The other young man is fighting for his life," Trump said. "He’s in very bad shape. He’s fighting for his life."

Earlier in the day, Beckstrom’s father, Gary Beckstrom, told the New York Times that her injuries were unsurvivable. "I’m holding her hand right now," he said during a phone call. "She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery."

The shooting unfolded just blocks from the White House. Authorities continue to investigate the attack.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital, posted a statement on social media following the announcement.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom of the National Guard -- a hero who volunteered to serve DC on Thanksgiving for people she never met and gave the ultimate sacrifice," Pirro said in the post.

SUSPECT HAD TIES TO CIA-BACKED AFGHAN UNIT

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan man accused of the targeted attack on the National Guards, had spent years in one of the CIA’s most secretive Afghan combat units, US officials have confirmed.

The 29-year-old previously served in the Zero Units -- CIA-supported strike teams that fought the Taliban and later secured Kabul airport during the final days of the 2021 US withdrawal.

Lakanwal arrived in the United States that same year through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden-era programme that brought tens of thousands of Afghans who had worked with American forces.

"The Biden Administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the US Government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar," CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement to CBS.

According to federal prosecutors, Lakanwal drove more than 2,500 miles from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington DC before carrying out what officials described as an “ambush-style” attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.

Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, said both Beckstrom and Wolfe were shot at close range.

- Ends
With inputs from agencies