Members of the National Guard stand at Union Station, in Washington, DC, US, October 27, 2025. © REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
(Washington, DC) – One of the National Guard members shot this week in Washington, DC has died. President Trump announced 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia passed away on Thanksgiving. Her fellow guard member, Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, continues to fight for his life.
Both guard members were shot, leaving them in critical condition, in Washington, DC, Wednesday. A 29-year-old Afghani national by the name of Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been identified as the suspect and is under arrest.
President Donald Trump deployed guard members to the nation’s capital earlier this year in a bid to crack down on violent crime. Taking to Truth Social, Trump noted the servicemember’s were in critical condition — saying the animal who shot them will pay a steep price. A suspect is in custody at this time.
It was earlier this month when a judge determined the deployment of National Guard members to Washington, DC was unlawful.
