Obsequies as Trump Announces Death of National Guard Member Shot in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump has confirmed the death of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of two West Virginia National Guard members shot in an ambush near the White House on Wednesday.
Beckstrom, just 20 years old, died from her injuries a day after the attack, which authorities say was carried out by an Afghan national who had been living in the United States under a resettlement program.
The shooting happened near the Farragut West Metro station, in the heart of Washington, where National Guard personnel have been deployed in recent months for expanded security duties. Beckstrom and her colleague, 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, were returning from duty when they were attacked. Wolfe remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Trump described Beckstrom as “a magnificent young woman who loved her country and served with pride.” Her death has triggered shock and grief across West Virginia, where she enlisted in the National Guard in 2023 and quickly built a reputation for discipline and dedication.
Her unit, the 863rd Military Police Company, has been a key component of the Guard mission in the capital.
Investigators have identified the suspected shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who previously worked with a CIA-backed paramilitary unit in Kandahar before being evacuated to the U.S. in 2021.
He had been granted asylum earlier this year. Authorities are treating the case as a potential act of terrorism, though no clear motive has yet been established.
The attack has already ignited a national political storm. Trump, in announcing Beckstrom’s death, sharply criticized the immigration vetting processes that allowed Lakanwal’s entry into the country.
He has ordered a sweeping review of Afghan resettlement and asylum approvals, calling the shooting “a direct failure of the system.”
Prosecutors have charged the suspect with assault with intent to kill and firearms offenses, but those charges are expected to be upgraded to murder following Beckstrom’s death.
Federal investigators are still analyzing his digital history, communications and travel patterns to determine whether he acted alone.
The loss of Beckstrom — coupled with Wolfe’s fight for survival — has intensified public calls for answers and accountability.
Tributes have poured in from military officials, state leaders and the local community she came from, many describing her as a rising soldier who embodied the spirit of service.
As the investigation deepens and the political fallout widens, the nation is left confronting both the tragedy of the attack and the questions it raises about security, immigration, and the safety of service members deployed on domestic missions.
