National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from injuries suffered in a shooting in Washington DC
US President Donald Trump reported that a National Guard soldier shot on Wednesday in Washington, DC, allegedly by an Afghan immigrant, died from the injuries suffered.
The victim, Sarah Beckstrom, was 20 years old and was a member of the West Virginia National Guard stationed in Washington on a security mission. Beckstrom, “a young, beautiful and highly respected person, who began her service in June 2023, remarkable in every way, has just passed away. She is no longer with us,” Trump said Thursday in a televised message.
The other soldier shot “is fighting for his life” and “in a very serious condition”, he said.
“We hope to hear better news soon,” Trump said.
The second victim was identified as 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe. On Thursday, Washington DC federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro charged the suspect with three counts of attempted murder and one count of illegal possession of a firearm.
The suspect, Ramanullah Lajanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan citizen residing in Bellingham, Washington state, entered the United States on repatriation flights organized during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
US authorities said that the suspect appeared from a corner and surprised the National Guard soldiers, who were part of a patrol team. He immediately opened fire on the soldiers, and was later immobilized by other elements of the National Guard who rushed to the scene.
The CIA confirmed that Lajanwal worked with an agency-supported military unit in Kandahar during the war in Afghanistan, with director John Ratcliffe blaming previous immigration policies for serious security failures.
Trump classified the attack as an “act of hate” and a “crime against the entire nation”, highlighting the need to reinforce the military presence in Washington as part of the federal offensive against crime.
Following the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the sending of an additional 500 soldiers to the capital, where National Guard troops from several states are already deployed.
