This is Sarah Beckstrom, 20, a member of the National Guard. From West Virginia. has been sent to … D.C. as part of the deployment ordered by Trump due to his self-declared “criminal emergency” in Washington.
The second guard, Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition He is “fighting for his life,” the president said in a short Thanksgiving speech at his Florida mansion.
The attack happened on Wednesday around 2:15 p.m. In a crowded area near the White House complex. Authorities believe it was an ambush.
Mayor Muriel Bowser described the incident as a “targeted shooting.”
The two guards, Beckstrom and Wolf, were part of the security unit deployed in Washington, and according to federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro, he was sworn in less than 24 hours ago.
He was Part of the device that Trump activated to enhance the troop presence In the face of what he called the crime crisis in the capital. Democrats criticized him for exposing these reservists in non-combat actions.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, is a 29-year-old Afghan. He was subdued by other members of the National Guard after the shooting. He was armed with a Smith & Wesson revolver.
Biro explained that Lakanwal was residing in Bellingham, Washington state He drove more than 4,500 kilometers to the capital with the intention of committing the attack. The FBI sent the weapon to the Quantico laboratory for analysis immediately and is executing search warrants at several locations across the country, including the suspect’s final home.
Its director, Kash Patel, described the case as an “active and evolving” terrorism investigation.
Lakkanwal was resettled in the United States in 2021 after working in Afghanistan with one of the CIA-organized counter-terrorism units, known as “Units Zero.”
These units For years, he participated in operations to arrest or eliminate terrorist suspects. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that the suspect was brought to the country for cooperating with the US government in Kandahar.
Prosecutors filed charges of possession of a firearm and three counts of assault with intent to murder while carrying a weapon, but the Justice Department plans to add terrorism charges. Prosecutor Pam Bondi said they would seek the death penalty. The motive has not yet been determined.
The political impact was immediate
The government has suspended all immigration applications from Afghan citizens “pending a comprehensive review of security protocols.” Trump used the issue to attack the previous administration’s immigration policies and ordered a review of green card status for citizens of “countries of concern.”
The Afghan community in the United States condemned the attack It requested that the author be punished without holding all Afghans responsible. In Bellingham, Mayor Kim Lund said the crime “does not represent the values” of the city and offered full cooperation with the FBI.
In Washington, the Pentagon quickly sent 500 additional troops to the capital, sparking controversy over the National Guard’s prolonged presence on urban patrol missions.