...
By Peter Aitken and Hannah Parry
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard members shot near the White House on Wednesday, has just died, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening.
“She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” Trump said, during his Thanksgiving address.
Why It Matters
West Virginia National Guard members Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were in Washington, D.C., since August as part of the federal surge in the nation's capital to tackle crime and immigration operations.
Read More on News
A suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, of Washington state, allegedly drove across the country before shooting Beckstrom and Wolfe in an "ambush-style" attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver before he was wounded and apprehended by responding troops, according to U.S. Attorney General of the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.
Pirro identified the victims on Thursday, when she confirmed both had surgery but remained in critical condition.
Lakanwal was in the U.S. since 2021 as part of Operation Allies Welcome, but only applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted by the Trump administration earlier this year.
What To Know
Beckstrom, 20, had been listed as being in critical condition after being shot in the chest and the head during the attack in Washington D.C.
Her father earlier in the day had said he was by his daughter's side and regretfully told The New York Times that she was not expected to survive, saying: "She has a mortal wound. It's not going to be a recovery."
Trump revealed that Beckstrom had passed away just moments before he started his Thanksgiving address, calling her a "magnificent person" who was "outstanding in every way."
"She's no longer with us," Trump said, adding that her parents were with her, and that she had died after being "savagely attacked."
...
Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, suspect in National Guard shooting?
Lakanwal was one of the roughly 76,000 Afghans brought to the U.S. following the military drawdown from Afghanistan in 2021 as the Taliban swept into power. The program, known as Operation Allies Welcome, launched in the first year of the Biden administration in order to relocate Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces during the two decades of operations in Afghanistan.
Lakanwal worked with the U.S. government as well as the CIA, according to CIA Director John Ratcliffe. His motives remain unknown at this time, but the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is carrying out an investigation.
The Trump administration has blamed the Biden administration for admitting "unvetted" Afghans into the country, but it was the Trump administration that approved Lakanwal's application for asylum, granting it earlier this year.
“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the most part, we don’t want them.”
What Is Andrew Wolfe's Condition?
Wolfe also underwent surgery and is in recovery, but Trump on Thursday admitted that Wolfe is "in bad shape" and fighting for his life.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Update 11/27/25, 7:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information.
Update 11/27/25, 7:25 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information.
Update 11/27/25, 9:00 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines