Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, has been charged in the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House on November 26, 2025. One soldier, 20-year-old Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, died from her wounds, while 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in serious condition but has shown signs of responsiveness, according to state and federal officials.
Federal and local authorities say the shooting took place on the afternoon of November 26, 2025, near the Farragut West Metro station in downtown Washington, D.C., roughly two blocks from the White House. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were on patrol as part of a federally directed crime-fighting deployment in the capital when they were attacked.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference that the shooter opened fire "ambush-style" with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, first striking one Guard member and then firing again as that soldier fell. A second Guard member was also hit multiple times. Additional National Guard personnel then returned fire, wounding the suspect, who was taken into custody near the scene and hospitalized under guard, according to The Washington Post and other outlets.
Beckstrom later died of her injuries, officials and multiple news reports have confirmed. Wolfe remains in serious condition but has shown signs of responsiveness, including giving a thumbs-up and moving his toes in response to nurses, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said in recent public statements, echoed by the Associated Press and Reuters.
Prosecutors have charged the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, with first-degree murder in connection with Beckstrom’s death, along with multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and firearms offenses. Reports from The Washington Post, the Associated Press and other outlets note that additional or upgraded charges are possible as the investigation proceeds.
Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a program created after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to relocate vulnerable Afghans. According to detailed reporting by The Washington Post, The Guardian and other news organizations, he had previously served in a CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary unit, part of the so‑called "Zero Units" that conducted counterterrorism raids against Taliban and other militant targets.
Public records and interviews cited by The Washington Post and The Guardian indicate that after arriving in the U.S., Lakanwal settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children. Neighbors described him as generally polite but not especially outgoing. Over time, emails and accounts gathered by The Guardian and the Associated Press depict a picture of deteriorating mental health: by 2023, he was reportedly quitting jobs, spending long periods isolated in a darkened bedroom and taking unplanned, weeks‑long cross‑country drives. A community advocate who worked with his family expressed concern that he might harm himself but said there had been no prior indication he would attack others.
Authorities have not publicly identified a clear motive for the shooting. Law enforcement officials have said they are examining possible factors including mental health and Lakanwal’s past in Afghanistan, but they have not released evidence tying the attack to an organized terrorist plot. The U.S. attorney and investigators have instead described the incident as a "targeted" ambush on the two service members.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has asserted in public remarks that Lakanwal was "radicalized" after arriving in the United States, a claim reported by conservative outlets including The Daily Wire. Other major news organizations, including NPR and The Washington Post, have not independently corroborated specific evidence of such radicalization, and some sources close to the family interviewed by those outlets emphasized his apparent psychological distress rather than ideological extremism.
The attack has had swift political repercussions. President Donald Trump has publicly referred to the shooting as a terrorist attack and sharply criticized Afghan refugee and immigration policies. According to reporting from the Associated Press, The Washington Post and other outlets, the Trump administration has paused or suspended new asylum decisions and visa issuances for many Afghan nationals while ordering a broader review of refugee vetting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump also directed the deployment of an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as part of a broader federal crime‑fighting initiative.
Officials in West Virginia say all of the Guard members in the D.C. deployment, including Beckstrom and Wolfe, had volunteered for the mission. Beckstrom, who joined the West Virginia Army National Guard in 2023, was remembered by family and colleagues as a dedicated young soldier who hoped to pursue a career in law enforcement and help pay for college, according to tributes reported by Reuters and local media. Wolfe, a member of the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 167th Force Support Squadron since 2019, has been described by state officials as a committed noncommissioned officer with multiple awards.
Advocacy groups for Afghan refugees and former U.S. partners have urged Americans not to blame the broader Afghan community for the actions of one individual. Organizations such as AfghanEvac and the Alliance of Afghan Communities in the United States have issued statements condemning the shooting, expressing solidarity with the victims’ families and warning that collective punishment or sweeping restrictions on Afghans seeking refuge would be both unjust and counterproductive. As one advocate told NPR, "You can’t paint with a broad brush this entire community. This was an individual act, not the reflection of a nation."
At the same time, refugees and volunteers have highlighted what they describe as serious gaps in post‑resettlement support for Afghans, particularly for those who worked with U.S. forces and may be struggling with trauma. Community members told NPR and other outlets that efforts to secure robust mental health care and social services for families like the Lakanwals frequently ran into funding limits, bureaucratic hurdles and an overburdened nonprofit network.
Vigils in West Virginia and Washington, D.C., have drawn mourners honoring Beckstrom’s service and praying for Wolfe’s recovery. Officials say the investigation into the shooting — including Lakanwal’s background, mental health history and any potential ideological influences — remains active, and they have cautioned that it may take time before authorities can fully explain why the attack occurred.
