President Donald Trump has confirmed the death of a National Guard member who was ambushed and shot while on patrol near the White House in Washington DC.
A Fatal Ambush Near the White House
The attack occurred on Wednesday, when Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and her fellow guardsman, Andrew Wolfe, 24, were ambushed during their patrol duties. Ms Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard described by President Trump as a "highly respected" and "magnificent person", succumbed to her injuries.
Her father had previously told The New York Times that he was holding her hand and that her survival was unlikely. Mr Wolfe remains in a critical condition in hospital.
The Suspect and the Terror Investigation
The suspected gunman has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. According to US authorities, Lakanwal drove thousands of miles from his home in Washington state to carry out the attack with a powerful Magnum revolver.
He was injured in an exchange of fire and is now in a serious condition, under guard in hospital. Federal investigators are treating the assault as an act of terrorism.
Lakanwal is reported to have worked in a CIA-backed Afghan army unit before arriving in the United States in September 2021 under a resettlement scheme for those at risk of Taliban reprisals. His asylum application was approved earlier this year.
Political Fallout and Security Response
In the wake of the attack, President Trump ordered 500 additional troops into the capital, bolstering the roughly 2,200 National Guard members already deployed there as part of a crime and immigration initiative.
The Trump administration has launched a review of all asylum cases approved during Joe Biden's presidency and has suspended immigration requests from Afghans. CIA director John Ratcliffe stated that the suspect "should have never been allowed to come here."
Authorities have confirmed that Lakanwal, who has a wife and five children, appears to have acted alone and had no known criminal history. A motive for the attack has not yet been established.
