President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a National Guard member died after being shot in an ambush near the White House. He stated that an Afghan national attacked the National Guard member on Wednesday afternoon. The shooting sparked accusations from his administration about failures in Biden-era immigration vetting. It also prompted a broad review of asylum cases across federal agencies. Trump said that twenty-year-old Sarah Beckstrom died of her wounds. He added that her fellow Guardsman, twenty-four-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was fighting for his life. Investigators launched what officials described as a terrorism investigation.
FBI Expands Federal Probe
The FBI searched multiple properties in a widening probe linked to the deadly attack. Agents targeted a home in Washington state connected to the suspect. Officials said the suspect previously served in a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan. They added that he arrived in the United States in 2021 under a resettlement program. Investigators seized electronic devices, including mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, from his residence. FBI Director Kash Patel said agents also interviewed members of the suspect’s family. Authorities identified the suspect as twenty-nine-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
Suspect’s Movements Under Scrutiny
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect drove cross-country before the attack. She stated that he ambushed the Guard members while they were patrolling near the White House. Trump expressed outrage over the shooting during a Thanksgiving call with US service members. He called the incident a horrific act that targeted deployed members of the West Virginia National Guard. He said the attack underscored the need for strict control over immigration and residency procedures.
Details of the Shooting Emerge
Officials said the gunman carried a .357 Magnum revolver. They stated that he shot one Guard member who fell and then fired again. He then targeted the second Guard member with multiple rounds. Authorities said Guard personnel returned fire and wounded the gunman. Officers arrested him and moved him to a hospital, where he remained under heavy guard.
Family Questioned Amid Lone-Actor Theory
Jeff Carroll of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect appeared to have acted alone. Officials confirmed that he lived in Washington state with his wife and five children. When asked about deporting the suspect’s family, Trump said his administration was reviewing the situation. The program that brought the suspect to the United States allowed entry to more than seventy thousand Afghan nationals. It included vetting by intelligence and counterterrorism agencies. However, critics argue that rushed evacuations weakened background checks.
Potential Charges and Penalties
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the government planned to file terrorism charges against the gunman. She stated that prosecutors would seek a life sentence at minimum. After Beckstrom’s death, she suggested that she would pursue the death penalty.
