The shooting near the White House on Wednesday has sent shockwaves across the United States.
The young victims, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were gunned down in what the FBI is now investigating as a suspected act of terrorism.
Late Thursday night, Donald Trump announced that the young woman has died.
Struck in the head
On Wednesday afternoon, chaos erupted just two blocks from the White House when a gunman opened fire near the Farragut metro station in Washington, D.C.
National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were on patrol when the shooting began. Both were critically injured.
Beckstrom was struck in the head and chest by a .357 Magnum revolver around 2 p.m., authorities said, after 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly opened fire. Wolfe was also shot—hit with Beckstrom’s own weapon — before another nearby Guardsman managed to fight back, using only a pocket knife until a fourth service member shot the attacker in the buttocks and leg, stopping him.
During a Thursday press conference, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro shared that the two Guardsmen “were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street in Washington.”
Both were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Specialist Beckstrom’s father, Gary Beckstrom, broke the devastating news to The New York Times, saying: “She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.”
Hours later, during his Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops, President Donald Trump told service members that he had just been informed Beckstrom had died, while Staff Sergeant Wolfe continued to fight for his life.
“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.”
“I love West Virginia..”
The president went on to call Beckstrom “an incredible person, outstanding in every single way.”
The suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, reportedly served in a CIA-backed Afghan military unit before immigrating to the U.S., according to sources who spoke with the Associated Press.
When asked whether he planned to attend Beckstrom’s funeral, Trump responded: “It is certainly something I could conceive of.”
He added, “I love West Virginia, and I won West Virginia by one of the biggest margins of any president anywhere.”
He continued: “These are great people… but I haven’t given it any thought.”
Trump’s decision to boast about his popularity in West Virginia didn’t sit well with many. According to The Mirror, several reporters in the room visibly reacted the moment he made the remark.
Back in Beckstrom’s hometown of Webster Springs, West Virginia, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post announced prayer vigils for the fallen soldier.
Their statement read: “Our hearts are absolutely broken to share that Sarah has passed away from the injuries she sustained in the D.C. attack. There are no words big enough for this loss… We will still be gathering for the community vigils—now to honor Sarah’s memory, to lift up her family, and to pray for the other service member who remains injured.”
Community members have been encouraged to wear blue ribbons — Beckstrom’s symbolic color of honor and service.
