In the immediate aftermath of the shooting of two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., this week, FBI Director Kash Patel made a point of noting how National Guard members kept a horrific situation from getting even worse.
At a news conference Wednesday, after a reporter asked about whether the suspect was being questioned, Patel jumped in with the key point.
And it was clearly a message he wanted Americans to hear.
FBI Director Kash Patel didn’t wait for the reporter to finish their question about the suspect — he jumped in with a message he clearly wanted the media to hear.
Patel shifted the focus straight to the heroic actions of National Guard troops who stopped the shooter before the… pic.twitter.com/HHyBM35unF
— Overton (@overton_news) November 26, 2025
“The reason that this suspect is in custody is because of the bravery of the men and women of the National Guard who responded due to their extensive training to secure American lives today,” he said.
The two troops who were shot — Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe — were initially listed in critical condition. Beckstrom later died from her wounds.
Their alleged attacker, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is a 29-year-old Afghan who came to the U.S. after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The resident of Washington state was subdued by National Guard members.
One of those National Guard members, the New York Post reported, was a major who came from nearby armed only with a pocket knife.
The major was doing rounds when he heard the gunfire and saw that Lakanwal had apparently spotted him, according to the newspaper, which cited conservative commentator Mike Davis.
The major had no firearm and ducked behind a car. When the gunman paused to reload, the officer went on the attack, throwing himself on Lakanwal and using his pen knife to stab the man in the head, the article continued.
Another National Guard member nearby also responded, shooting Lakanwal in the legs and buttocks.
The two then held Lakanwal until more help arrived.
As bad as the incident was — with a young American woman losing her life to an act of terrorism in her own country’s capital — Patel emphasized that the quick action of National Guard troops who responded saved other lives.
“We should highlight the fact that the men and women of law enforcement, the interagencies, the Department of War, and the National Guard executed their training with great precision today and prevented an even greater tragedy from befalling us,” he said.
With Beckstrom’s death, Lakanwal faces a first-degree murder charge, according to The Hill.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Department of Justice is seeking the death penalty in the case, The Hill reported.
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