Trump invites family of National Guard members who were shot to White House
President Donald Trump on Sunday said he invited the families of the National Guard members who were shot last week to the White House. U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died as a result of the shooting, while U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, is currently in critical condition, The Associated Press reported.
“I said, ‘When you’re ready, because that’s a tough thing, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,” Trump was quoted by the AP as saying. “And likewise with Andrew, recover or not.”
Vigils were held in West Virginia, where Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, served in the National Guard. They were deployed in Washington, D.C. after Trump federalized the city’s police force this past summer.
“Sarah was the kind of student that teachers hoped for, she carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lifted people around her,” Gabriel Markle, principal of Webster County High School, where Beckstrom went, said at a Saturday vigil, according to the AP. “She was sweet, caring and always willing to help others.”
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Beckstrom “had a lot of kindness and she certainly had courage.”
“Though her life lasted far too short, she has left a mark that’s going to last forever,” he added.
More details emerge about suspect
Rahmanullah Lakanwal was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed in connection to the shooting. Emails obtained by The Associated Press revealed more information Sunday about Lakanwal, an Afghan national.
The emails describe someone who had been “unraveling” for years, and unable to hold a job. The AP wrote that Lakanwal was isolated, and would take cross-country drives for weeks at a time. At one point, a community advocate reached out to a refugee organization for help as they were concerned Lakanwal was suicidal.
While in Afghanistan, Lakanwal worked in a Zero Unit, a special Afghan Army unit that worked with the CIA. In 2021, he came to the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome, which assisted Afghans after the American withdrawal from their country.
Lakanwal had a wife and five sons, who were all younger than 12 years old, with whom he lived with in Bellingham, Washington. An 2024 email reported on by the AP stated that he “has not been functional as a person, father and provider since March of last year, 03/2023.”
“He quit his job that month, and his behavior has changed greatly,” the person wrote in a January 2024 email. He’d spend weeks in a “darkened room” without talking to anyone — even his family. There were also instances where Lakanwal’s wife left him with the kids while she traveled to visit relatives. During these times, the children were not bathed, and their clothes weren’t changed. This prompted their school to raise concerns.
Lakanwal’s family members often resorted to sending his toddler sons into his room to bring him the phone or messages because he would not respond to anyone else, one email stated. A couple of times, when his wife left him with the kids for a week to travel to visit relatives, the children would not be bathed, their clothes would not be changed, and they would not eat well. Their school raised concerns about the situation.
Even the “interim” weeks when Lakanwal tried to “do the right things” would develop into “manic” episodes, where he would “take off in the family car and drive nonstop,” one email said.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
