TL;DR
- National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, has died following a shooting incident near the White House; another victim, Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
- The suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, previously served in a CIA-backed Afghan army unit before arriving in the US under a resettlement scheme.
- Authorities are treating the shooting as terrorism, leading to a review of asylum approvals under the Biden administration.
National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom has died after Washington DC shooting, Trump says | US News
One of the National Guard members shot in Washington DC on Wednesday has died from her injuries, Donald Trump has said.
The US president called 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, part of the West Virginia guard, a “highly respected” and “magnificent person”.
The other person who was shot, Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in a critical condition. Mr Trump said he is “fighting for his life”.
The pair were ambushed while patrolling near the White House.
Ms Beckstrom’s father had earlier told The New York Times she was unlikely to survive, and he was “holding her hand”.
The suspected gunman, Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is in a serious condition, Mr Trump told reporters.
Mr Trump described him as a “savage monster”.
He drove thousands of miles from his home in Washington state to carry out the attack with a powerful Magnum revolver, according to US attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Lakanwal was injured in an exchange of fire and is now under guard in hospital.
He’s said to have worked in a CIA-backed Afghan army unit before coming to the US in 2021 under a resettlement scheme to protect people from Taliban reprisals.
Lakanwal’s asylum application was passed this year.
Investigators are treating the attack as terrorism and searched multiple properties on Thursday, including one linked to Lankanwal in Washington state, where the FBI seized electronic devices and interviewed relatives.
Lakanwal has a wife and five children, but police said he appeared to have acted alone.
Ms Beckstrom had been deployed since August as part of the president’s plan to clamp down on what he says are high levels of crime and illegal immigration in some US cities.
Mr Trump ordered 500 extra troops into the capital after the shooting, joining about 2,200 already there.
A review of all asylum cases approved under Joe Biden’s tenure has been launched as Mr Trump’s administration seeks to blame his predecessor’s policies.
Green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries will also be reviewed and immigration requests from Afghans have been suspended.
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“This individual – and so many others – should have never been allowed to come here,” said CIA director John Ratcliffe in a statement.
He said Lakanwal had entered America in September 2021 “due to his prior work with the US government”.
A Trump official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said the suspected gunman had no known criminal history, while authorities have not yet given a motive.
