The two National Guard troops had been sworn in for less than a day when a gunman critically wounded the soldiers Wednesday afternoon in an ambush just blocks from the White House, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Guardsmen Andrew Wolfe, 24, and Sarah Beckstrom, 20, recently arrived from West Virginia to assist with President Trump’s crime-fighting mission in the nation’s capital.
Both are now fighting for their lives after being targeted by a shooter near the Farragut West Metro station downtown, officials said.
“Unfortunately, today, as most families join together to give thanks for the blessings that have been bestowed upon them, two families are shattered and destroyed and torn apart as a result of the actions of one man,” Ms. Pirro said
Authorities said the suspect — Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29 — drove across the country to carry out the ambush on troops patrolling the District.
The suspect opened fire on one of the Guardsmen, leaned over and shot them again, and then shot another Guardsman multiple times before a fellow soldier downed the assailant with a firearm.
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Ms. Pirro said Mr. Lakanwal, an Afghan refugee who sought asylum in the U.S. following the American military withdrawal in 2021, faces charges of assault with intent to kill and gun-related charges.
“These guardsmen and all who are here to protect the District are the line that separates a civilized society from a barbaric one, they are the ones who stand for law and order,” Ms. Pirro said. “This was not just an attack, it was a direct challenge to law and order in our nation’s capital, and this individual will be made fully accountable.”
FBI Director Kash Patel referred to the shooting as an “act of terrorism” and said his agency continues to investigate possible links to terrorism that can be proven in court.
Staff Sgt. Wolfe and Spc. Beckstrom are part of the more than 2,200 National Guard members who came to the District for the Trump administration’s crackdown on violence and disorder.
Mr. Trump ordered 500 more National Guard troops to the nation’s capital in light of Wednesday’s shooting, less than a month after the Department of Defense extended the Guard’s deployment through the end of February.
The surge of Guardsmen and federal agents brought about a sharp drop in killings, carjackings and muggings during Mr. Trump’s initial 30-day emergency this summer. Metropolitan Police data shows violent crime is down 28% so far this year.
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Last week, a federal judge ruled the National Guard’s presence in the District was illegal because they were being used for “non-military, crime deterrence” purposes.
The ruling, which stemmed from a lawsuit filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, seeks to end the deployment that D.C. leaders have ridiculed ever since troops from several Republican-led states began arriving in August.
But Army Gen. Leland D. Blanchard, head of the D.C. National Guard, said Thursday that the troops are more committed to their mission after seeing two of the fellow soldiers be wounded in action.
“Our resolve will be tested — it is being tested — but make no mistake, each and every one of these soldiers and airmen will meet and exceed the expectation that we have for them,” Gen. Blanchard said. “I pray for each and every one of them today, and in particular, for these two young service members who are willing to go above and beyond and pay whatever price our nation has to them.”
