National Guard member dead after ‘brazen’ shooting in D.C.

Article content

One of the two National Guard members shot in an ambush attack Wednesday in Washington D.C. has died, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump announced the death of Sarah Beckstrom during a call with service members from Palm Beach, Fla. Beckstrom, 20, was from West Virginia.

Article content

Article content

“She’s no longer with us,” said Trump. “This just happened. She was savagely attacked.

“She’s dead.”

Article content

2nd victim still in critical condition

Trump said Beckstrom started with the National Guard in June 2023 and described her as “outstanding in every way.”

Trump said the second National Guard trooper who was shot, Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, is in critical condition and still fighting for his life.

During a Thursday news conference, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Beckstrom was shot in the head and chest.

In an appearance on Fox News, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Beckstrom had volunteered to work the day she was shot so others could spend Thanksgiving with their families.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Authorities launching terror probe into shooting

Wolfe and Beckstrom had been on duty in Washington D.C. for three months before they were shot in what officials had described as a “brazen and targeted” attack.

Article content

On Thursday, the FBI said it will be launching a terror probe into the shooting of the troopers, who were attacked near the White House.

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan during the war against the Taliban, had settled in the United States after American troops withdrew from the country when the militant group regained power in 2021.

Lakanwal will now likely face a charge of first-degree murder after Beckstrom’s death. He is currently facing assault with intent to kill charges, Pirro said Thursday.

— With files from the Washington Post.

Article content