Identities Of Two US National Guard Members Sh0t In Washington DC Revealed
Identities Of Two US National Guard Members Shot In Washington DC Revealed
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Thursday said both underwent emergency surgery and remain in critical condition.
The United States authorities have named the two National Guard members who were shot in Washington, DC, in an incident the FBI is currently investigating as a potential act of “terrorism.”
The victims, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were deployed to the U.S. capital as part of a National Guard initiative aimed at curbing rising crime, an effort President Donald Trump has defended despite widespread criticism.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Thursday said both underwent emergency surgery and remain in critical condition.
The attacker, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021, reportedly drove across the country before opening fire with a 357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
Al Jazeera reports that Lakanwal was hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries and has been charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm.
“A lone gunman opened fire without provocation, ambush style, armed with a 357 Smith and Wesson revolver,” Pirro told reporters at a news conference.
Pirro stated that Lakanwal, a resident of Washington State, had driven across the country prior to the attack.
He faces three charges: assault with intent to kill and unlawful possession of a firearm. Lakanwal remains hospitalized, with officials noting his injuries do not appear life-threatening.
The former Fox News host added that the charges could be escalated if either of the injured National Guard members dies.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the incident as being investigated as “terrorism” and confirmed that a search warrant was carried out at Lakanwal’s residence.
Earlier on Fox News, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the wounded personnel were “fighting for their lives.”
“Everyone, pray today for these two soldiers these two guards men, the man and woman,” she said. “But if something happens, I will tell you right now, I will tell you early we will do everything in our power to seek the death penalty against that man.”
The attack comes amid intense scrutiny of former President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Washington, DC, and other cities nationwide.
Trump has defended the deployment as necessary to combat high crime rates in the capital. Critics, however, have condemned it as an aggressive show of force that ignores the actual needs of the federal district.
Last week, a judge ruled that Trump’s National Guard deployment was illegal but delayed enforcement until December 11. In response to Thursday’s attacks, the Trump administration swiftly ordered an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, DC, supplementing the nearly 2,200 already stationed there.
The administration also vowed to “re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under [Former President Joe] Biden” and announced a pause on all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals.
Trump officials continued to highlight the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, a move that followed a deal struck between Trump and the Taliban during his first term.
In the aftermath, the Biden administration launched “Operation Allies Welcome” to relocate Afghans, including those who had worked with US and Western forces, with roughly 77,000 resettled in the US.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that the attacker had previously served “as a member of a partner force” in Kandahar before arriving in the US.
The incident has raised fears among Afghan evacuees and those still seeking relocation, many of whom are already vulnerable due to Trump-era restrictions on refugees and asylum seekers. Afghan collaborators face potential Taliban reprisals.
Shawn VanDiver, president of the AfghanEvac advocacy group, urged media and policymakers “the media, elected leaders and decision-makers and other people of influence not to demonize the Afghan community for the deranged choice this person made”.
UN human rights rapporteur, Richard Bennett, echoed the warning, stressing that punishing the entire Afghan community for one individual’s actions “that would be terribly unjust and complete nonsense. Cool heads must prevail.”
