One of the National Guard members shot by an Afghan refugee in Washington, DC, on Wednesday succumbed to her injuries, US President Donald Trump confirmed during a Thanksgiving call to troops. He said Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died.
“She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her,” Trump said, adding that Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained critically injured and “was fighting for his life.”
Beckstrom was shot in the head and chest with a .357 Magnum-calibre revolver just blocks from the White House around 2 p.m. The accused was identified as Afghan refugee Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan.
Her father, Gary Beckstrom, told The New York Times that he was holding her hand and that she “has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery,” remarks that foreshadowed the outcome.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that Beckstrom had volunteered for duty on Thanksgiving Day. “Devastated. Please pray for Sarah. Pray for her family,” Bondi wrote after Beckstrom’s death, adding, “America will never forget her courage. There WILL BE JUSTICE for Sarah. Continue to pray for Andrew. Thank you to President Trump — the death penalty is back.” She noted Beckstrom and other guardsmen volunteered so others could be home with family.
DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the two guardsmen were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street in Washington.
Beckstrom began her service on June 6, 2023, and was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade of the West Virginia Army National Guard. She and other injured guardsmen were deployed to Washington in August after an order from President Trump.
A former boyfriend described Beckstrom as “caring and tenderhearted” and said she dreamed of a career in the FBI. He said she had not been initially excited to go to Washington but later grew to enjoy her time there.
