A female West Virginia National Guard member critically wounded in a violent ambush by a suspected Afghan refugee had tragically volunteered to work that day so other troops could spend Thanksgiving with their families. The brave guardsman was identified as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro at a press conference. She was shot in the chest and head, according to authorities. The other wounded guardsman was previously identified as Andrew Wolfe, 24. She volunteered to be there on Thanksgiving working today she volunteers, as did many of those guardsmen and women so other people could be home with their families, US Attorney General Pam Bondi noted early Thursday. Yet now, their families are in hospital rooms with them while they are fighting for their lives.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe had undergone surgery and remain in critical condition. Authorities revealed a tragic detail: Both Sarah and Andrew were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street in Washington, Pirro stated. They sustained the life-threatening injuries when Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, allegedly opened fire near the Farragut West Metro Station in Northwest DC in what is being probed as a possible terrorist attack. Suspected gunman Lakanwal came to the US during the chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, authorities said. Officials emphasized the gravity of the victims' condition. They are criticalI think you understand the meaning of that. Its not clear how this is going to end up, said Pirro, adding a solemn warning to the suspect: If one of them is to pass, and God forbid that happens, this is a murder one. Period. End of the story.
The suspect Authorities are working at "lightspeed" to gather the facts of the case. Lakanwal allegedly ambushed the two National Guard members near the White House, lying in wait before opening fire in a brazen attack before being shot by return fire from other guard members. Lakanwal was a former member of the Afghan Army stationed in Kandahar where he supported US Special Forces. He applied for asylum in December 2024, was approved this year, and had no known criminal history prior to the incident. His motive is not yet clear, but authorities are probing it as a targeted terrorist attack.
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