Flowers and a U.S. flag are seen on Thursday at the scene where two West Virginia National Guard members were shot near the White House in downtown Washington on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
The two wounded National Guard members who were shot near the White House while patrolling the capital on Wednesday remain hospitalized and have been identified.
They are Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, both of whom are members of the West Virginia National Guard, NPR reported.
The shooting occurred at the same location as the Farragut West Metro Station, which is located about two blocks northwest of the White House.
“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 the result of the actions of one man,” Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said during a Thursday morning news conference.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Pirro said. “These are dedicated service members who were performing their duties in service to our nation.”
She said they are in critical condition and have undergone surgery and continue to be cared for “in the best possible way.”
Pirro described the shooting as a “brazen and targeted attack” in which shooting suspect Rahmanulla Lakanwal, 29, ambushed Beckstrom and Wolfe while he was armed with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
Lakanwal shot the first at very close range and leaned over and shot again before turning his attention to the second Guardsman, whom he shot several times, Pirro said.
Other National Guardsmen located nearby immediately responded, engaged Lakanwal, who was shot and transported to a local hospital, where he remains under heavy guard, Pirro said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is leading an “ongoing investigation into terrorism” and an assault on a federal law enforcement officer.
Law enforcement secured the crime scene, recovered the firearm used and began block-by-block canvassing to locate and interview witnesses.
Evidence has been collected and sent to the FBI’s forensics laboratory in Quantico, Va., and multiple search warrants have been issued across the country.
Sites being searched include Lakanwal’s last known residence in Bellingham, Wash., where he was living with his wife and their five children before driving across the country and carrying out Wednesday’s attack on the National Guard members.
Law enforcement interviewed Lakanwal’s family members and will search for and interview anyone who is associated with him, including individuals who are located in San Diego, Patel said.
“This is a coast-to-coast investigation being led right here in Washington, D.C.,” he added. “This subject definitely did pick the wrong country.”
Lakanwal is an Afghan national who entered the country in 2021 while participating in a Biden administration resettlement program.
He qualified for relocation to the United States due to his service with an Afghanistan military unit that had worked with the CIA and the U.S. military prior to the U.S. withdrawal from that nation in 2021.
