‘No Longer With Us’: Trump Confirms Death Of Guard Member Shot Near White House, Another Critical
One of the two National Guard soldiers injured in a targeted shooting near the White House on Wednesday has died, US President Donald Trump announced on Friday.
The attack, carried out by an Afghan national who officials say ambushed the troops during a patrol, has prompted sweeping federal reviews of asylum and immigration vetting procedures.
Trump confirmed the death of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, describing her as a “highly respected, young, magnificent person.”
He added, “She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us,” noting that he had been informed shortly before speaking with US forces during a Thanksgiving call.
The second Guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
“The other young man is fighting for his life. He’s in very bad shape,” Trump said.
The shooting, according to officials, unfolded on Wednesday afternoon when the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, drove cross-country to Washington, DC, and opened fire on the two soldiers as they patrolled near the White House grounds.
US Attorney for Washington, DC, Jeanine Pirro said the gunman ambushed the soldiers, firing a powerful .357 Magnum revolver at close range.
One Guard member was shot and fell to the ground before the shooter fired again, then turned the weapon on the second soldier.
Lakanwal was wounded when the Guardsmen returned fire and was later arrested. He remains hospitalised under heavy guard.
Trump forcefully blamed what he called Biden-era immigration failures, saying the alleged attacker was “an Afghan national flown here by the previous administration, such a bad administration.”
He added, “His atrocity reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country.”
However, according to a government file reviewed by Reuters, the suspect was granted asylum this year under Trump.
Investigators have said the suspect previously worked in a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan before being resettled in the US in 2021. He lived in Washington state with his wife and five children.
As part of the rapidly expanding probe, the FBI executed multiple search warrants across Washington state, seizing electronic devices including cellphones, laptops, and iPads.
“This was a heinous act of terrorism,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Pirro said the government intends to pursue terrorism charges and “at a minimum” seek a life sentence. Following Beckstrom’s death, she indicated she would also consider seeking the death penalty.
Within hours of the attack, the administration moved to suspend all US immigration processing related to Afghan nationals and ordered an immediate review of all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration, as well as green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.
