One of the victims of the attack on the White House, a military specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died. President Donald Trump confirmed this fact in a message to troops from Mar-a-Lago. Trump insisted that the soldier was reportedly “brutally attacked.” New York Times.
Beckstrom and Air Force Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, both of the West Virginia National Guard, were identified as victims of the attack. Beckstrom’s father claimed his daughter suffered a ‘fatal injury’While one of Wolf’s relatives asked to “pray” for him.
The alleged attacker, Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, was taken into custody after sustaining serious injuries. The authorities indicated that he is an Afghan citizen, who entered the United States through an asylum program during the presidency of Joe Biden, in 2021.
In the wake of the shooting, Trump ordered 500 additional members of the National Guard to be sent to Washington, in addition to the nearly 2,000 already deployed.
The case sparked an immediate political conflict: Trump administration officials blamed Biden-era immigration policy for allowing Lakanwal’s entry. However, New York Times She revealed that the man obtained asylum last April, when Trump had already returned to power.
The striker’s history has also raised concerns since then Lakhanwal was part of Unit Zero, an Afghan force trained by the CIA It is known for its night operations and toughness, as documented by the New York Times. A childhood friend claimed the man suffered from mental health issues and was distraught over the injuries caused by his loneliness.
The attack raised controversy again about the legality of deploying the National Guard in American cities. Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary suspension of troop presence in Washington as illegal, a decision the Trump administration sought to block in the wake of the shooting.