One of the two members of the National Guard who were shot while patrolling in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday has died,
according to U.S. President Donald Trump
.
U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, originally from Webster Springs, West Virginia, died after being shot Wednesday. U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
Wolfe is in “very bad shape. He’s fighting for his life,” Trump said during a call with service members.
The suspect, who was arrested after the “monstrous ambush-style attack,” was identified by authorities as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal on Thursday morning.
Here’s what to know about the suspect and how the attack unfolded.
Who is suspect in the National Guard shooting?
Lakanwal was identified by U.S. attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro at
Thursday as a 29-year-old Afghan national. He came to the United States in 2021 “under Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, a program following the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,” said Pirro.
She said he was living in Bellingham in Washington state, with his wife and children.
Lakanwal had been a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) partner in Afghanistan, CIA Director John Ratcliffe
.
“The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021,” after the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan, “due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation,” Ratcliffe said in a statement.
FBI Director Kash Patel said at the news conference Thursday that he was aware the suspect “had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces.”
“We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well to include any known associates that are either overseas or here,” he said.
He called it an “ongoing investigation of terrorism.”
The suspect’s home in Washington state was searched by authorities overnight. Cellphones, laptops, iPads and other material were seized. Patel also said interviews were being conducted in San Diego pursuant to the investigation at the suspect’s Washington state house.
It was “too soon” to say what his motive could be, said Pirro.
How did the attack unfold?
According to Pirro, the attack was “targeted.”
The suspect allegedly drove his vehicle from Washington state to Washington, D.C. “with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital,” she said.
She said the two guardsmen were “ambushed” while on patrol around 2:15 p.m. The shooter opened fire without provocation, armed with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver.
“One guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the guardsman again. Another guardsman is struck several times,” Pirro said.
Other members of the National Guard “responded immediately” and were able to subdue the suspect. He was taken to hospital, where he remains “under heavy guard.”
What charges does the suspect face?
Lakanwal faces “three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed,” said Pirro.
“He will also be charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces 15 years under the assault with the intent to kill,” she said. However, the charges could change based on the well-being of the two victims.
“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,” she said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday that she would seek the death penalty for Lakanwal if either of the shooting victims died.
Who were the victims?
Beckstrom and Wolfe were members of the West Virginia National Guard and had volunteered to go to Washington, D.C. to “protect the people of the district pursuant to a crime emergency” declared by Trump, Pirro said.
“They are receiving the finest medical care. Their families are with them now,” she said, although she could not elaborate on their injuries.
One of Wolfe’s neighbours, Michael Langone, described him as
. Langone said Wolfe was the type of person who would “give the shirt off of his back to somebody.”
— With additional reporting from Bloomberg
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