Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically injured in a daytime shooting in Washington, D.C., by an Afghan national accused of driving across the country to launch an ambush, according to federal officials.
Authorities identified the wounded Guard members as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Both were hospitalized in critical condition after Wednesday’s attack.
According to the New York Times, who spoke Beckstrom’s father who said over the phone, “She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.”
The pair had been deployed to the nation’s capital along with nearly 2,200 National Guard personnel supporting President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting mission, which placed federal troops in roles typically handled by D.C. police.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially announced online that two Guard members from his state had died.
He later retracted that statement, saying his office was “receiving conflicting reports.”
He did not provide further explanation, and federal officials confirmed only that both troops remained in critical condition late Wednesday.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, drove from Bellingham to Washington, D.C., with the intent to carry out an “ambush-style” attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund provided the following statement to KIRO 7 News:
“It takes courage to say yes to the job of protecting fellow community members and protecting our country. We honor the courage of the two National Guard members who were wounded in service yesterday. There is no excuse for the heinous, violent attack they suffered.
We are holding them and their loved ones in our hearts today, wishing them a full return to health.
As mayor of Bellingham, I am directing local resources to be ready to support the FBI’s investigation. We share the resolve to see justice and accountability for this violent attack.
The terrible actions committed in Washington, D.C. yesterday are the actions of one person, not a community. They don’t represent Bellingham’s values. They don’t reflect the values of either Washington. They don’t represent what makes our communities great."
According to Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, security video reviewed by investigators showed Lakanwal “came around the corner” and immediately opened fire at the Guard members.
According to CBS News, the gunman opened fire without warning, striking Beckstrom first. She was hit at least twice.
The gunman then picked up her weapon and continued firing with that, hitting Wolfe.
A third Guardsman was also stabbed with a pocketknife.
A fourth Guardsman then shot the suspect several times.
After the gunfire, multiple troops rushed toward the shooter, restrained him on the ground and waited for officers to take him into custody, Carroll said.
Authorities believe he acted alone.
Investigators have not determined whether the bullet wounds Lakanwal sustained came from a Guard member or a police officer.
His injuries were not considered life-threatening, officials said.
Pirro said investigators have not identified a motive.
Federal officials said Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
According to CNN, Lakanwal then received asylum under the Trump administration in April.
The initiative brought roughly 76,000 evacuees to the country, many of whom worked alongside American troops, diplomats and intelligence agencies.
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said Lakanwal previously worked with U.S. personnel, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar.”
Ratcliffe said that relationship “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. servicemembers in 2021.
He did not detail the nature of Lakanwal’s work.
Lakanwal had been living in Washington state with his wife and five children, according to his former landlord, Kristina Widman.
Pirro said the suspect now faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
She noted those charges could be elevated depending on the victims’ conditions.
“We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge,” she said.
Soon after the shooting, Trump said he would send an additional 500 National Guard troops to the capital.
Federal officials have not clarified which states the new personnel would come from.
As of early November, the D.C. National Guard made up the largest contingent in the city with 949 members.
Guard units from West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama were also deployed.
A federal judge last week ordered the Guard presence in D.C. to end but delayed the ruling for 21 days, giving the Trump administration time to appeal or begin drawing down troops.
The shooting occurred during that pause.
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