Trump announces National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom died after DC shooting

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, died after she and another guard were shot Wednesday in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump said.

“I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia… a very respected person, young, beautiful, started her service in June 2023, exceptional in every way, she just passed away,” Trump said on Thanksgiving. “She’s not with us anymore. She’s watching us right now. Her parents are with her. It just happened. She was brutally attacked. She’s dead now.”

The second soldier injured in the attack, Andrew Wolfe, 24, “is still fighting for his life,” the president said.

“He’s in very bad shape,” Trump said. “He is fighting for his life and I hope we get better news about him.”

ALLEGED DC SHOOTER ENTERED US AS PART OF AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT MAYORKAS WISHED WOULD BE DONE “QUICKLY AND SAFELY”

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, has died. (Provided by the Department of Justice)

The suspected shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national whom Trump called a “monster,” is also in serious condition.

“We won’t even talk about him,” Trump said.

Officials and lawmakers offered their condolences to Beckstrom’s family after learning of his death on Thanksgiving.

“An American hero, at ease with the Lord. RIP, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. May our nation kneel in prayer for her family,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth wrote on X.

“Sarah Beckstrom was a young soldier and patriot with her whole life ahead of her,” added FBI Director Kash Patel. “Please join me in praying for Sarah’s family, friends and fellow soldiers left behind.”

DCUS attorney Jeanine Pirro wrote: “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of the National Guard – a hero who volunteered to serve DC on Thanksgiving for people she never met and who made the ultimate sacrifice. May she rest in peace. Now is the time to avenge her death and achieve justice.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was “devastated.”

“Please pray for Sarah’s family. America will never forget her courage. There will be JUSTICE for Sarah. Continue to pray for Andrew,” she wrote.

Bondi also said the Justice Department would pursue the death penalty against the suspected shooter.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added: “May God bless Sarah’s family during this incredibly difficult time. »

National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot and killed in Washington, D.C. (United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement that Beckstrom “served with courage, extraordinary determination and an unwavering sense of duty to his state and nation.”

“She answered the call to serve, volunteered and carried out her mission with the strength and character that define the best of the West Virginia National Guard,” the governor said. “Today, we honor her courage and sacrifice as we mourn the loss of a young woman who gave everything to defend others. We will forever keep her family, friends and fellow Guardsmen in our prayers as they grieve what no family should ever have to endure.”

Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said he and his wife were “heartbroken beyond words.”

“Our prayers go out to his family, friends and fellow Guardsmen during this incredibly difficult Thanksgiving day,” he said in a statement. “We also lift up Andrew Wolfe in prayer as he continues his journey to recovery. West Virginians always show up for each other, and today it is our turn to show up for our service members as they mourn this terrible loss.”

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V. added that “West Virginia will never forget Sarah’s service, her sacrifice and the dedication she showed to her state and country.”

“We will continue to stand firmly with his family and the West Virginia National Guard community during this incredibly painful time,” she said in a statement.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, entered the United States legally in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, following the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.

WHO IS THE DC NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTING SUSPECT? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE AFGHAN NATIONAL RAHMANULLAH LAKANWAL

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, suspect in shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. (Provided by the Department of Justice)

Lakanwal was examined by the CIA in Afghanistan for his work with the agency and again for his request for asylum in the United States. A senior US official told Fox News he was “impeccable on all checks” during his background check.

His asylum application was approved by the Trump administration earlier this year.

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A report released in June by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General found that there were “no systemic failures” in the selection of Afghan refugees or subsequent immigration pathways.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Thursday that authorities will review green cards issued to immigrants from all “countries of concern,” including Afghanistan. USCIS also implemented new national security measures to consider when screening immigrants from “high-risk” countries.