The nation is reeling after a shocking shooting unfolded just two blocks from the White House, turning a routine afternoon in downtown D.C. into chaos. Two young National Guard members, 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, were ambushed near the Farragut metro station, an area normally packed with commuters and federal workers. Witnesses described a sudden burst of gunfire around 2 p.m. as people ran for cover and first responders flooded the streets. Both Guardsmen had been sworn in less than a day before the attack, adding an even more heartbreaking layer to the tragedy.
Authorities say 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire with a .357 Magnum, striking Beckstrom in the head and chest and wounding Wolfe with her own weapon during the struggle. Another Guardsman fought the attacker off with only a pocketknife until a fourth service member intervened and stopped the gunman by shooting him in the leg. Both victims were rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and on Thursday night President Donald Trump announced that Beckstrom had succumbed to her injuries.
Beckstrom’s father confirmed the devastating reality, saying her wounds were irreversible. The president, speaking to service members on a Thanksgiving call, described her as “an incredible person” and said her parents were at her side when she passed. Wolfe remains hospitalized as investigators, including the FBI, look into the shooter’s background. Sources told the Associated Press that Lakanwal previously served in a CIA-backed Afghan military unit before immigrating to the U.S., leaving authorities to explore terrorism as a possible motive.
In Beckstrom’s hometown of Webster Springs, West Virginia, grief has swept the community. Local veterans groups are holding prayer vigils, urging residents to wear blue ribbons in her honor. Messages of support continue to pour in as the town mourns a young soldier whose life of service ended far too soon. Funeral arrangements are expected to follow in the coming days.
