On Wednesday afternoon, an Afghan national allegedly shot two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House, amidst heightened political tensions surrounding the military's presence in the capital. The incident is being investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism, according to reports from officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel.
The injured guard members, identified as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were hospitalized in critical condition following the shooting. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey had initially announced their deaths, but later retracted that statement due to conflicting reports regarding their health status. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, confirmed their critical condition in a Thursday news briefing.
Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned that the charges against the suspect would depend on the prognosis of the injured guards. She indicated intentions to seek the death penalty if their condition worsens. The shooting, which took place on the eve of Thanksgiving, coincided with ongoing court battles and public policy debates regarding the deployment of military forces to address rising crime rates in various American cities under the Trump administration.
The Trump administration had authorized the rapid deployment of 500 additional National Guard members to Washington following the incident. The suspect, who was in custody and believed to have non-life-threatening injuries, has been identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program designed to resettle Afghan allies after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Operation Allies Welcome facilitated the arrival of approximately 76,000 Afghans, of whom many had supported U.S. forces. However, the program has faced scrutiny regarding its vetting processes. Lakanwal reportedly worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, prior to relocating to the U.S., though the specifics of his work remain unclear. He settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children.
In an unexpected turn, President Donald Trump called for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees admitted under the Biden administration in a video message released following the shooting. He stated that individuals unable to love the U.S. should not be allowed entry, labeling the shooting as “a crime against our entire nation.” DC Police Chief Jeffery Carroll noted that investigators had yet to determine a motive, emphasizing the targeted nature of the shooting; the assailant reportedly began firing upon encountering the guard members.
The incident unfolded approximately two blocks from the White House, near a Metro station, where troops quickly intervened to subdue the assailant after he was shot. Eyewitness accounts described a scene of chaos as bystanders fled amid gunfire. Video footage from the aftermath shows first responders attempting to revive one of the wounded guards, as police secured the area.
In response to the shooting, Vice President JD Vance remarked on the somber reminder of the role of soldiers as protectors of the nation. General Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, altered his holiday plans to provide support to the guard members affected by the incident in D.C. Meanwhile, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll expressed his sorrow for the injured members after visiting them in the hospital.
Tensions surrounding the presence of National Guard troops in Washington escalated following a federal judge's ruling to end their deployment, though the enforcement of the order was temporarily stayed, allowing the troops to remain in the city for additional time. Serving under an emergency order initially issued by Trump, nearly 2,200 troops were tasked with patrolling various locations, including neighborhoods and transportation hubs.
As the investigation continues, officials reiterated the importance of addressing violence against military personnel and the overarching discussions regarding security and public safety in the nation's capital.
