National Guard Member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, Dies After 'Brazen' Attack Near White House, Trump Says By Nicole Acosta

U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, one of two National Guard members who were shot in an ambush near the White House, has died.

President Donald Trump, speaking during his Thanksgiving call to troops, said he had been informed that 20-year-old Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” he said, per CNN.

Trump added that the second wounded National Guard member, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.

Just 24 hours after the pair had been sworn in, Beckstrom and Wolfe, who were stationed in Washington, D.C., were “ambushed in a brazen and targeted attack,” on Wednesday, Nov. 26, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro previously said, per reports from The Associated Press, NBC News and CNN.

The D.C. National Guard called Beckstrom’s death a “devastating loss” on social media.

“Spc. Sarah Beckstrom came to the District from West Virginia to make our nation’s capital safe and beautiful,” a Facebook post reads. “She is a hero and we mourn her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones and with the West Virginia National Guard.”

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Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national living in Washington state, the outlets reported.

At a press conference on Thursday, Pirro alleged that Lakanwal drove across the country and carried out the shooting with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver. She added that it was too early to identify a motive.

In a statement reported by CNN, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said that Lakanwal had worked with the CIA as a member of a “partner force” in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Per NBC, he was also shot during Wednesday’s incident and is hospitalized.

Prior to Beckstrom’s death, Lakanwal was charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, the AP reported. Pirro said on Fox & Friends on Friday the suspect would receive an upgraded charge of first-degree murder.

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In a post shared to X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

“Devastated. Please pray for Sarah’s family. America will never forget her courage. There WILL BE JUSTICE for Sarah. Continue to pray for Andrew. Thank you to President Trump — the death penalty is back.”