Critically injured National Guard members identified after DC attack
Investigators are revealing new details about a shooting in Washington, D.C., that left two National Guard members in critical condition. They say the shooter traveled across the country from Washington to conduct what officials called an “ambush-style” attack.
The attack happened just after 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, just blocks away from the White House. Investigators previously said the suspected shooter targeted the two victims but have not released a motive.
Who are the victims?
Authorities have identified the two National Guard members as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remain in critical condition at the hospital.
There are few details about the extent of their injuries. Reports previously stated that at least one victim was struck in the head. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey previously announced that the two died from their injuries. However, he walked back that statement, saying he didn’t know their condition and that he received “conflicting reports.”
Both members belong to the West Virginia National Guard that President Donald Trump deployed earlier this year to Washington, D.C., to address what he described as rampant crime. At its height, West Virginia had about 300 National Guard members in Washington, D.C., but scaled back to about 160.
Following the shooting, Trump requested 500 more National Guard members for Washington, saying it would “stiffen our resolve.” The president has deployed about 2,000 National Guard members from six states to the city.
Who is the suspect?
Authorities identified the suspected shooter as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national living in Washington state. They said he entered the country in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, which was a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal.
While in Afghanistan, Lakanwal worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA. Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the allegations saying he was a “member of a partner force in Kandahar.” However, Ratcliffe did not specify what kind of work Lakanwal did during his time with the CIA, but said his service with the spy agency “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Since arriving in the U.S., his former landlord said Lakanwal lived in Washington state with his wife and five children.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal faces several charges, including assault while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. She said prosecutors could upgrade the charges.
“We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree,” she said. “But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”
Investigators said Lakanwal remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
How did the attack go down?
Pirro said it was an “ambush-style” attack and that Lakanwal used a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. Video of the attack shows the shooter coming around a corner and immediately opening fire on the National Guard members in the area.
One Guard member did engage the shooter, according to authorities. However, they did not say if the member was the person who struck Lakanwal.
Troops and police then run over and hold down the shooter before taking him into custody.
The FBI and local agencies are investigating the attack. Director Kash Patel said the investigation began almost immediately after the shooting stopped.
“We immediately, with our law enforcement partners in the Metropolitan Police Department and the interagency, secured the scene, seized the weapon, sent in our Evidence Response Team immediately to collect evidence and started doing block-by-block canvases,” he said.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
