WASHINGTON, DC — Two members of the West Virginia National Guard are fighting for their lives after being shot at close range just blocks from the White House on Wednesday afternoon, in what officials are calling an ambush attack.
The soldiers, identified as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were on a high-visibility patrol near Farragut Square when a gunman opened fire around 14:00 EST (19:00 GMT), close to the busy intersection of 17th and I Streets NW.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect “came around the corner and immediately started firing,” describing the incident as an “ambush.” Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser called it a targeted attack.
Law enforcement officers, already concentrated in the area due to its proximity to the White House, quickly responded, providing first aid and arresting the shooter after an exchange of gunfire. The suspect was shot four times during his apprehension and was taken into custody.
The Department of Homeland Security identified the alleged shooter as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national described as “a criminal alien from Afghanistan.” Officials say he entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the programme created to resettle Afghans who had worked with US forces following the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
According to officials, Lakanwal had a prior relationship with US forces in Afghanistan; FBI Director Kash Patel said he had ties to US military operations, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated he had cooperated with the intelligence agency. Lakanwal later applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted earlier this year.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal will be charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The assault charges alone carry a potential 15-year sentence.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe underwent surgery and remain in critical condition.
“They were in DC to keep DC safe,” Pirro said at a press conference. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that Beckstrom had volunteered to serve in the capital over the Thanksgiving holiday so others could be home with their families.
President Donald Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, condemned the shooting as an “act of terror” and a “crime against humanity,” calling Lakanwal an “animal” who carried out a “monstrous, ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House.”
Trump announced he will deploy an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, bringing the total number of Guard members in the city to nearly 2,700. National Guard troops, a reserve force, can support security operations but generally do not have authority to enforce civilian law or make arrests.
Citing Lakanwal’s immigration status, Trump also ordered a suspension of all immigration processing for Afghans and called for a full review of every Afghan national admitted under Operation Allies Welcome, saying the United States “must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden.”
