The father of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who was shot near the White House the day before Thanksgiving, said that she has a “mortal wound.”
Beckstrom, along with fellow National Guard member 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were shot near the Farragut Square Metro Station in the area of 17th and I streets NW at around 2:15 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department stated.
Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said the two were still undergoing surgery as of Thursday morning.
“I’m holding her hand right now,” Gary Beckstrom told The New York Times when asked about his daughter. “She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.”
The CIA said the man suspected of shooting Beckstrom and fellow guard member Andrew Wolfe, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, worked for the agency in Afghanistan prior to the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. He immigrated to the U.S. as part of a Biden administration program to resettle Afghan refugees who helped the U.S. during its 20-year war.
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Lakanwal faces three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with the shooting, charges that carry up to 15 years in prison. However, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro noted those charges could be upgraded if either victim dies, and Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News on Thursday morning that prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
Sarah Beckstrom, a U.S. Army specialist, entered service on June 26, 2023, according to a news release from the West Virginia National Guard. She was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade of the West Virginia Army National Guard.
Wolfe entered service on Feb. 5, 2019, according to the news release. He was assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard.
President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 500 additional National Guard troops would be deployed to Washington, D.C., in response to the attack.
Last week, a federal judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., but put that ruling on hold until Dec. 11, while the Trump administration files appeals.
