Two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot near the White House on Wednesday have been identified as Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe. District of Columbia Attorney General Jeanine Pirro confirmed their names during a Thursday press conference, noting that both remain in critical condition.
Officials identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
Pirro added that the two soldiers had been “sworn in” just 24 hours before the shooting, though she did not clarify the meaning of the phrasing in this context.
Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were serving as part of the West Virginia National Guard deployed in Washington, D.C., amid heightened security orders issued earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
Two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot near the White House have been identified as Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe. District of Columbia Attorney General Jeanine Pirro confirmed their names during a press conference, noting that both remain in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/gLMpDq5CKS
— LoudFact (@loudfactcom) November 27, 2025
500 More National Guard Members to Be Sent to DC
Following the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that an additional 500 National Guard members would be deployed to the capital to strengthen security operations.
The shooting has intensified concerns about Washington’s security posture, especially after Trump’s August directive sending hundreds of Guard members to assist local law enforcement and curb rising crime.
What Has President Trump Said?
President Donald Trump responded forcefully, calling for a full review of all Afghan nationals admitted under former President Joe Biden.
🇺🇸 BREAKING: President Trump has addressed the nation after two National Guard members were killed in an ambush-style attack near the White House.
Trump called the shooting “a monstrous, ambush-style assault” carried out just steps from the seat of American power. pic.twitter.com/yrkmH0lpb7— LoudFact (@loudfactcom) November 27, 2025
He stated on Truth Social: “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen… will pay a very steep price. God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services later posted on X that it was suspending all immigration requests from Afghan nationals “indefinitely” pending updated vetting procedures.
The suspect, Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome and allegedly overstayed his visa.
Who Is the Suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal?
Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe have been identified as the two West Virginia National Guard members shot near the White House. Both remain in critical condition following surgery. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was identified as an Afghan national.#WhiteHouseShooting pic.twitter.com/iF0Y5ZlkMt
— LoudFact (@loudfactcom) November 27, 2025
Reports indicate that Lakanwal served in the Afghan Army for 10 years, working with U.S. Special Forces, before traveling to the U.S. after the Taliban takeover.
NBC News, citing a relative, reported: “We were the ones targeted by the Taliban in Afghanistan. I cannot believe it that he might do this.”
Former CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration justified admitting Lakanwal due to “his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA.”
Latest Condition Update on the National Guard Members
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday that both victims underwent surgery, confirming that one of the wounded soldiers is female.
She added: “She volunteered to work on Thanksgiving… so that other people could be at home with their families. Yet now their families are in hospital rooms with them, while they are fighting for their lives. Everyone just pray today for these two soldiers.”
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey also released a statement, calling the shooting “an act of unspeakable violence” and offering prayers to the soldiers and their families.
