Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically injured in a daytime shooting near the White House by a man officials say drove from Washington state to launch an “ambush-style” attack, according to federal authorities.
U.S. officials identified the wounded soldiers as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Both were reported in critical condition on Thursday, however, later in the day, President Donald Trump announced that Beckstrom died from her injuries.
Federal officials said Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, approached the Guard members on Wednesday and opened fire without warning using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
Security footage showed the suspect “came around the corner” and immediately began shooting, said Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief.
According to investigators and reporting from CBS News, Beckstrom was struck first and hit at least twice.
The gunman then picked up her weapon and continued firing, hitting Wolfe.
A third Guard member was stabbed with a pocketknife during the attack, authorities said.
A fourth Guardsman fired at the suspect, and several troops then ran toward the shooter and restrained him on the ground until officers arrived, Carroll said.
Officials said the suspect’s gunshot injuries were not life-threatening.
Investigators have not determined whether he was shot by a Guard member or a police officer.
Authorities said they believe he acted alone, and they have not identified a motive.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were both in critical condition as of Thursday.
Beckstrom’s father told The New York Times that her injuries were severe, saying over the phone, “She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.”
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially announced that two Guard members from his state had died, but later retracted the statement, saying his office was “receiving conflicting reports.”
Morrisey’s office said Thursday that he met with the soldiers, their families, and other Guard personnel.
Both Beckstrom, from Webster Springs, and Wolfe, from Martinsburg, joined the West Virginia National Guard within the last several years.
Beckstrom entered service in 2023; Wolfe in 2019.
Federal authorities said Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, the program created to resettle Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces during the war.
According to #AfghanEvac, he applied for asylum during the Biden administration and received it under the Trump administration.
Multiple officials, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Lakanwal previously served in Zero Units, CIA-supported Afghan paramilitary teams that fought alongside U.S. personnel.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Lakanwal worked with U.S. forces in Kandahar but that the relationship “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” from Afghanistan in 2021.
A cousin interviewed by the Associated Press said Lakanwal, originally from Khost province, held several roles in the unit, including team leader and GPS specialist.
Activists have accused some Zero Units of abuses, though the AP report did not detail his specific actions.
Lakanwal had been living in Bellingham with his wife and five children, according to his former landlord, Kristina Widman.
Multiple family members of the suspect have been interviewed by law enforcement, according to CBS News. No other suspects have been identified.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal faces charges including assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
She said the charges may be upgraded depending on the victims’ conditions.
“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,” Pirro said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”
Search warrants have been executed in multiple locations.
Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund issued a statement Thursday, saying:
“It takes courage to say yes to the job of protecting fellow community members and protecting our country. We honor the courage of the two National Guard members who were wounded in service yesterday. There is no excuse for the heinous, violent attack they suffered.
We are holding them and their loved ones in our hearts today, wishing them a full return to health.
As mayor of Bellingham, I am directing local resources to be ready to support the FBI’s investigation. We share the resolve to see justice and accountability for this violent attack.
The terrible actions committed in Washington, D.C. yesterday are the actions of one person, not a community. They don’t represent Bellingham’s values. They don’t reflect the values of either Washington. They don’t represent what makes our communities great.”
In a message posted on social media Wednesday night, President Donald Trump said the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation” and called for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees admitted under the Biden administration, saying, “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.”
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday that the attack was aimed at the nation itself.
“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” she said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Beckstrom and Wolfe were among nearly 2,200 National Guard members deployed to D.C. as part of Trump’s crime-fighting initiative, which placed Guard troops in roles usually handled by local police, including patrols, checkpoints, and event security.
A federal judge ordered an end to the deployment last week, but paused the ruling for 21 days while the administration decides whether to appeal or begin removing troops.
After the shooting, Trump ordered 500 additional National Guard members to the capital.
Federal officials have not clarified which states the new personnel would come from.
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