Parents of National Guardsman Injured in D.C. Shooting Share Update on His Recovery By Bailey Richards

One of the two National Guard soldiers shot last month continues to recover and receive medical care.

A gunman opened fire on Spec. Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe as they patrolled the area near the White House on the afternoon of Nov. 26, right before Thanksgiving.

The next day, President Donald Trump announced that Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries, while Wolfe’s mother, Melody, said on Facebook that the 24-year-old was out of surgery and “alive,” according to The Washington Post.

Now, over a week later, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey shared an update about Wolfe on behalf of his parents via the politician’s website. The update came on Friday, Dec. 5, the same day Morrisey, 57, was scheduled to attend a vigil for Wolfe.

“His parents report that his head wound is slowly healing and that he’s beginning to ‘look more like himself,’ ” Morrisey said in the update.

“Overall, the family expects that Andy will be in acute care for another 2-3 weeks but have been optimistic about his progress,” the governor continued. “We continue to ask all West Virginians and Americans for their prayers! They are making a difference!”

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In her Nov. 27 Facebook post, Wolfe’s mother Melody wrote more about her son’s condition at the time. “Andy’s been out of surgery for a few hours,” she said, per the Post. “His brain is being allowed space to swell and this first 24 to 48 hours is the biggest right now.”

“They have no clue about any lasting effects right now because we’re in this very first stage,” Melody continued. “The first two weeks will be a waiting game. Right now he’s surviving and alive. We got to see him in ICU and he’s sedated. It feels like a nightmare and this doesn’t feel real.”

On the morning of Nov. 27, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said, per the Post, that the families of Wolfe and Beckstrom were “shattered and destroyed and torn apart as the result of the actions of one man.”

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The suspect in the shooting has since been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, the outlet.

Prosecutors allege that Lakanwal, who lived in Washington state, drove across the country to D.C., where he opened fire at Wolfe and Beckstrom outside the Farragut West Metro station with a .357-caliber revolver, the Post reported.

Earlier this week, the suspect was formally charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill while armed and two counts of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the outlet.

Lakanwal pleaded not guilty through a defense attorney at the hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 2, the Post said.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were among more than 2,000 National Guard troops deployed to D.C. in August, in response to what Trump, 79, described as rampant crime in the nation’s capital.

However, his use of the military has been criticized by others as excessive and partisan, given the city’s Democratic history.