A National Guard member remains in critical condition at a D.C. hospital on Friday after a gunman shot him and a fellow guard member in an ambush in downtown D.C. on Wednesday, authorities say. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving at age 20.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is “fighting for his life,” President Donald Trump said on a Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops. He announced that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.

“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her,” Trump said.

Troops and first responders lined up outside MedStar Washington Hospital Center on Thanksgiving night to honor Beckstrom as her body was transported, video shows. The mood there was still somber early Friday.

The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. He will be charged with murder, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News.

“We are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said, describing an around-the-clock investigation.

No charges were immediately filed. Lakanwal was still hospitalized on Friday afternoon and was not expected in court until Monday at the earliest, a source told NBC News.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey asked all state residents to observe a moment of silence or prayer at 2:15 p.m. Friday. They were shot shortly after that time on Wednesday.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” he said in a statement. “[…] I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Morrisey ordered that flags are flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

Beckstrom worked full-time for Seneca Health Services, its CEO told NBC News. Its clinics provide treatment for substance use disorders, mental illness and more. She started the job in January.

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Trump used his announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump brandished a print-out of a news photo of Afghan evacuees sitting on the floor of a military plane during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021 during his remarks. He suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Lakanwal had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

Still, Trump blamed the asylum process in which Afghans who worked with U.S. forces arrived by plane for being ineffective and failing to ensure people were properly vetted.

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the most part, we don’t want them.”

Pirro declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro said that the suspect launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of Thursday morning, the suspect faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but Pirro suggested the charges would be upgraded if one of the National Guard members died, as happened later on Thursday.

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the D.C. police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

A National Guard member remains in critical condition at a D.C. hospital on Friday after a gunman shot him and a fellow guard member in an ambush in downtown D.C. on Wednesday, authorities say. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving at age 20.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is “fighting for his life,” President Donald Trump said on a Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops. He announced that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.

“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her,” Trump said.

Troops and first responders lined up outside MedStar Washington Hospital Center on Thanksgiving night to honor Beckstrom as her body was transported, video shows. The mood there was still somber early Friday.

The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. He will be charged with murder, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News.

“We are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said, describing an around-the-clock investigation.

No charges were immediately filed. Lakanwal was still hospitalized on Friday afternoon and was not expected in court until Monday at the earliest, a source told NBC News.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey asked all state residents to observe a moment of silence or prayer at 2:15 p.m. Friday. They were shot shortly after that time on Wednesday.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” he said in a statement. “[…] I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Morrisey ordered that flags are flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

Beckstrom worked full-time for Seneca Health Services, its CEO told NBC News. Its clinics provide treatment for substance use disorders, mental illness and more. She started the job in January.

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Trump used his announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump brandished a print-out of a news photo of Afghan evacuees sitting on the floor of a military plane during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021 during his remarks. He suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Lakanwal had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

Still, Trump blamed the asylum process in which Afghans who worked with U.S. forces arrived by plane for being ineffective and failing to ensure people were properly vetted.

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the most part, we don’t want them.”

Pirro declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro said that the suspect launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of Thursday morning, the suspect faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but Pirro suggested the charges would be upgraded if one of the National Guard members died, as happened later on Thursday.

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the D.C. police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

A National Guard member remains in critical condition at a D.C. hospital on Friday after a gunman shot him and a fellow guard member in an ambush in downtown D.C. on Wednesday, authorities say. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving at age 20.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is “fighting for his life,” President Donald Trump said on a Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops. He announced that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.

“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her,” Trump said.

Troops and first responders lined up outside MedStar Washington Hospital Center on Thanksgiving night to honor Beckstrom as her body was transported, video shows. The mood there was still somber early Friday.

The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. He will be charged with murder, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News.

“We are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said, describing an around-the-clock investigation.

No charges were immediately filed. Lakanwal was still hospitalized on Friday afternoon and was not expected in court until Monday at the earliest, a source told NBC News.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey asked all state residents to observe a moment of silence or prayer at 2:15 p.m. Friday. They were shot shortly after that time on Wednesday.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” he said in a statement. “[…] I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Morrisey ordered that flags are flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

Beckstrom worked full-time for Seneca Health Services, its CEO told NBC News. Its clinics provide treatment for substance use disorders, mental illness and more. She started the job in January.

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Trump used his announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump brandished a print-out of a news photo of Afghan evacuees sitting on the floor of a military plane during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021 during his remarks. He suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Lakanwal had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

Still, Trump blamed the asylum process in which Afghans who worked with U.S. forces arrived by plane for being ineffective and failing to ensure people were properly vetted.

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the most part, we don’t want them.”

Pirro declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro said that the suspect launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of Thursday morning, the suspect faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but Pirro suggested the charges would be upgraded if one of the National Guard members died, as happened later on Thursday.

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the D.C. police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia announced Friday, while investigators continue to seek a motive.

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 were hospitalized in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting near the White House. Trump announced Thursday evening that Beckstrom had died.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said the charges against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War, now include one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting mission that federalized the D.C. police force. The president also has deployed or tried to deploy National Guard members to other cities to assist with his mass deportation efforts but has faced court challenges.

Trump called the shooting a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has said he wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country.

In an interview on Fox News, Pirro said there are “many charges to come” beyond the upgraded murder charge. She said her heart goes out to the family of Beckstrom, who volunteered to serve and “ended up being shot ambush-style on the cold streets of Washington, D.C.”

Pirro said officials have been working around the clock to determine the suspect’s motive. Investigators are executing warrants in the state of Washington, where Lakanwal lived, and other parts of the country.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited National Guard troops in the nation’s capital Friday and led them in a prayer for Beckstrom and Wolfe.

“Some of you may have known her,” Hegseth said of Beckstrom. “Obviously a beautiful human being and a great American willing to serve her country brutally targeted.”

Hegseth said he and his wife briefly visited Wolfe on Thursday night “to be there, lay hands on him, pray over him.”

Wolfe remains in “very critical condition,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Friday. He ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

“Their courage and commitment to duty represent the very best of our state,” Morrisey said.

Lakanwal entered the US in 2021

Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.

Mohammad Sherzad, a neighbor of Lakanwal’s in Bellingham, told the AP in a phone interview Friday that Lakanwal was polite, quiet and spoke very little English.

Sherzad said he attended the same mosque as Lakanwal and had heard from other members that Lakanwal was struggling to find work. Some of his children attended the same school as Lakanwal’s children, Sherzad said.

“He was so quiet and the kids were so polite, they were so playful. But we didn’t see anything bad about him. He was looking OK,” Sherzad said. Sherzad said Lakanwal “disappeared” about two weeks ago.

Lakanwal had briefly worked as an independent contractor for Amazon Flex, which allows people to use their own cars to deliver packages, a company spokesperson shared with The Associated Press. Lakanwal delivered packages from the end of July to the end of August and hadn’t been active since.

Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that resettled Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

In a Thanksgiving address to the troops Thursday, Trump said that Lakanwal “went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts.”

Lakanwal served in a CIA-backed Afghan Army unit, known as one of the special Zero Units, in the southern province of Kandahar, according to a resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin. He said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that his brother had worked in the unit as well.

The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012 and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist.

Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA that also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.

On Wednesday night, Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration initiative that brought roughly 76,000 people to the country, many of whom had worked as interpreters and translators.

The program has faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.

Beckstrom ‘exemplified leadership, dedication, and professionalism’

Beckstrom had enlisted in 2023, the same year she graduated high school, and served with distinction as a military police officer with the 863rd Military Police Company, the West Virginia National Guard said in a statement.

“She exemplified leadership, dedication, and professionalism,” the statement said, adding that Beckstrom “volunteered to serve as part of Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful, helping to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s capital.”

The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.”

A National Guard member remains in critical condition at a D.C. hospital on Friday after a gunman shot him and a fellow guard member in an ambush in downtown D.C. on Wednesday, authorities say. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving at age 20.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is “fighting for his life,” President Donald Trump said on a Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops. He announced that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.

“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her,” Trump said.

Troops and first responders lined up outside MedStar Washington Hospital Center on Thanksgiving night to honor Beckstrom as her body was transported, video shows. The mood there was still somber early Friday.

The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. He will be charged with murder, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News.

“We are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said, describing an around-the-clock investigation.

No charges were immediately filed. Lakanwal was still hospitalized on Friday afternoon and was not expected in court until Monday at the earliest, a source told NBC News.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey asked all state residents to observe a moment of silence or prayer at 2:15 p.m. Friday. They were shot shortly after that time on Wednesday.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” he said in a statement. “[…] I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Morrisey ordered that flags are flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

Beckstrom worked full-time for Seneca Health Services, its CEO told NBC News. Its clinics provide treatment for substance use disorders, mental illness and more. She started the job in January.

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Trump used his announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump brandished a print-out of a news photo of Afghan evacuees sitting on the floor of a military plane during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021 during his remarks. He suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Lakanwal had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

Still, Trump blamed the asylum process in which Afghans who worked with U.S. forces arrived by plane for being ineffective and failing to ensure people were properly vetted.

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the most part, we don’t want them.”

Pirro declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro said that the suspect launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of Thursday morning, the suspect faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but Pirro suggested the charges would be upgraded if one of the National Guard members died, as happened later on Thursday.

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the D.C. police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

A National Guard member remains in critical condition at a D.C. hospital on Friday after a gunman shot him and a fellow guard member in an ambush in downtown D.C. on Wednesday, authorities say. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving at age 20.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is “fighting for his life,” President Donald Trump said on a Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops. He announced that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.

“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her,” Trump said.

Troops and first responders lined up outside MedStar Washington Hospital Center on Thanksgiving night to honor Beckstrom as her body was transported, video shows. The mood there was still somber early Friday.

The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. He will be charged with murder, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News.

“We are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said, describing an around-the-clock investigation.

No charges were immediately filed. Lakanwal was still hospitalized on Friday afternoon and was not expected in court until Monday at the earliest, a source told NBC News.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey asked all state residents to observe a moment of silence or prayer at 2:15 p.m. Friday. They were shot shortly after that time on Wednesday.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” he said in a statement. “[…] I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Morrisey ordered that flags are flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

Beckstrom worked full-time for Seneca Health Services, its CEO told NBC News. Its clinics provide treatment for substance use disorders, mental illness and more. She started the job in January.

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National Guard member, 20, dies on Thanksgiving Day after DC ambush shooting

Immigration

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What we know about the National Guard members who were victims of the D.C. shooting

Trump used his announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump brandished a print-out of a news photo of Afghan evacuees sitting on the floor of a military plane during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021 during his remarks. He suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Lakanwal had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

Still, Trump blamed the asylum process in which Afghans who worked with U.S. forces arrived by plane for being ineffective and failing to ensure people were properly vetted.

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the most part, we don’t want them.”

Pirro declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro said that the suspect launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of Thursday morning, the suspect faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but Pirro suggested the charges would be upgraded if one of the National Guard members died, as happened later on Thursday.

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the D.C. police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

A National Guard member remains in critical condition at a D.C. hospital on Friday after a gunman shot him and a fellow guard member in an ambush in downtown D.C. on Wednesday, authorities say. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving at age 20.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is “fighting for his life,” President Donald Trump said on a Thanksgiving call with U.S. troops. He announced that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.

“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her,” Trump said.

Troops and first responders lined up outside MedStar Washington Hospital Center on Thanksgiving night to honor Beckstrom as her body was transported, video shows. The mood there was still somber early Friday.

The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. He will be charged with murder, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Friday morning on Fox News.

“We are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said, describing an around-the-clock investigation.

No charges were immediately filed. Lakanwal was still hospitalized on Friday afternoon and was not expected in court until Monday at the earliest, a source told NBC News.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey asked all state residents to observe a moment of silence or prayer at 2:15 p.m. Friday. They were shot shortly after that time on Wednesday.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” he said in a statement. “[…] I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Morrisey ordered that flags are flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

Beckstrom worked full-time for Seneca Health Services, its CEO told NBC News. Its clinics provide treatment for substance use disorders, mental illness and more. She started the job in January.

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Nov 27

What we know about the National Guard members who were victims of the D.C. shooting

Trump used his announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump brandished a print-out of a news photo of Afghan evacuees sitting on the floor of a military plane during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021 during his remarks. He suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

Lakanwal had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

Still, Trump blamed the asylum process in which Afghans who worked with U.S. forces arrived by plane for being ineffective and failing to ensure people were properly vetted.

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the most part, we don’t want them.”

Pirro declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro said that the suspect launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of Thursday morning, the suspect faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but Pirro suggested the charges would be upgraded if one of the National Guard members died, as happened later on Thursday.

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the D.C. police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

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