Gary Beckstrom, the father of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, shared some heartbreaking news about his daughter’s condition after she was shot just a few blocks from the White House. Speaking from her hospital room on Thursday, he told the New York Times, “She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery. I’m holding her hand right now.”
Beckstrom, 20, and her fellow West Virginia National Guard soldier Andrew Wolfe, who is 24 years old, were both critically injured in what officials are calling an “ambush” and an act of terrorism on Wednesday. They were in Washington as part of President
Donald Trump’s new initiative where National Guard units took over some policing duties (which the court has ruled is unlawful).
National Guard member critically wounded in suspected terror attack in Washington DC unlikely to survive, dad says https://t.co/HsCawyUTyf pic.twitter.com/caGHMK4xjb
— New York Post (@nypost) November 27, 2025
The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was also injured and is in custody with injuries that aren’t life-threatening. Authorities say he fired a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver at the two soldiers from about 800 yards away from the White House.
Lakanwal is an Afghan national who reportedly drove all the way from Bellingham, Washington, where he lived with his wife and five kids. His fingerprints matched federal records indicating that he fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took over in 2021.
In a televised statement, President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration for bringing Lakanwal into the country. He said, “The suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth. He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021, on those infamous flights that everybody was talking about.”
BREAKING – Google search results for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the DC National Guard shooter, spiked in the DC area on November 20, six days before the attack, and again multiple times on the morning of the attack. pic.twitter.com/r4MTMyRutb
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) November 27, 2025
Trump added that Lakanwal’s immigration status was extended under legislation signed by President Biden, calling Biden “the worst president in our history.”
US officials confirmed that Lakanwal had previously worked with American Special Forces in Afghanistan. CIA Director John Ratcliffe noted that he had “direct links to the intelligence agency” through his role as a commander in an elite Afghan security unit. According to CNN, he applied for asylum in 2024 and got approved by Trump’s Department of Homeland Security earlier this year.
As for the motive behind the attack, investigators are still trying to figure it out. The Daily Mail reports that the FBI, under Director Kash Patel, is looking into possible international-terror connections. Notes from DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro suggested that Lakanwal yelled “Allahu Akbar” during the shooting, but officials caution that it’s too early to draw any conclusions.
Both Sarah Beckstrom (20) and Andrew Wolfe (24) were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street in DC.
Both have undergone surgery and are in critical condition.
Please say a prayer for them 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/ULpy5CcAnJ
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) November 27, 2025
Pirro mentioned to reporters on Thursday that “it’s too soon to say” what led to the shooting and expressed hope for the soldiers’ recovery. She stated, “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”
At the time of the shooting, there were already over 2,200 National Guard troops deployed in Washington. Afterward, an additional 500 troops were sent into the city.
Wolfe remains in critical condition along with Beckstrom. Gary Beckstrom has chosen not to make further comments but has been by his daughter’s side as doctors continue their work. Both families are receiving support from the National Guard.
Currently, Lakanwal faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a violent crime. Any additional charges will depend on how Sarah and Andrew recover.
