Trump confirms death of Sarah Beckstrom, National Guard member attacked in DC

Donald Trump confirmed the death of Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guard soldiers shot on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The president described the 20-year-old as a “magnificent” and “highly respected” person.

“I must unfortunately tell you that just seconds before I went on, right now, I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we're talking about, highly respected young, magnificent person, started service in June of twenty twenty three, outstanding in every way. She's just passed away,” Trump said Thursday night.

“She's no longer with us. She's looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her. This just happened. She was savagely attacked. She's dead. She's now with us. Incredible person. Outstanding at every single way and every department,” he added.

Who are the victims?

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was shot in the nation's capital on Wednesday and died just over 24 hours later. Her father, Gary Beckstrom, had anticipated that his daughter's injury was fatal.

Andrew Wolfe, 24, the other guard who was shot, remains in critical condition, although his condition is still unclear.

Communication with the FBI

For her part, Rebecca Mertzig, chief of the Bellingham Police Department (the suspect's hometown), said she is closely monitoring the situation for updates.

“Our hearts are heavy for the two West Virginia National Guard members who were shot while on active duty yesterday in Washington, D.C. We stand with them, their loved ones, and all the National Guard members across the nation. Violence like this is horrific and unacceptable."

She added: "People who serve and protect our communities, like the two wounded West Virginia National Guard members, represent the best of what we strive for, and we honor their service, sacrifice, and courage."

Who is the suspect in the attack?

The suspect is an Afghan man who had served alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan, several media outlets reported. NBC quoted a relative of the suspect, who said Rahmanullah Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021 after serving in the Afghan army for 10 years alongside U.S. Special Forces, primarily based in Kandahar, the historic birthplace of the Taliban and the heart of heavy fighting during the 20-year war between the then-insurgents and foreign-backed forces.

Lakanwal, 29, opened fire and wounded soldiers on patrol Wednesday afternoon before he was shot and hospitalized, The New York Times, CBS and NBC reported. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem explained on social media that Lakanwal "was one of many who had been paroled en masse in the United States without having been investigated under Operation Welcome Allies."

"The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under 'Operation Allies Welcome' on Sept. 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration," Noem wrote on X.

Fox News, citing CIA chief John Ratcliffe, said Lakanwal worked with several U.S. government entities, including the intelligence service.

Lakanwal, AFP explained, applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted in 2025.

"An act of evil"

President Donald Trump denounced the event as "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror," calling it a "crime against our entire nation."

"We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country if they can't love our country, we don't want them," the Republican said.

It was an ambush

Jeffrey Carroll, deputy chief of the Washington police, said the gunman "ambushed" his victims. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the shooting against the guards was "targeted."

"He went around the corner, raised his arm with a gun and fired at members of the National Guard."

An AFP journalist near the scene heard several loud bangs and saw people running. Dozens of bystanders were caught up in the chaos.

Additional 500 military personnel to be deployed to Washington

It is the most serious incident involving the National Guard since Trump began sending troops into the streets of several Democratic-run cities shortly after he began his second term in January.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced during a visit to the Dominican Republic that he will deploy an additional 500 military personnel to Washington.

The dispatch of these troops will bring the total number of National Guard agents deployed in the city to 2,500.

"This will only strengthen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, DC (a) safe and beautiful city," Hegseth said.