A 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of the West Virginia Army National Guard has died from injuries sustained during an ambush shooting near the White House on Wednesday. Her death, along with Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who remains in critical condition, was confirmed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Sarah Beckstrom joined the Guard due to her passion for law enforcement and began serving in 2023. She was initially hesitant about moving to Washington but eventually grew to enjoy the city.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, also from the West Virginia Air National Guard, was shot during the same incident and is currently fighting for his life.
The shooting occurred when a man named Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire on Beckstrom and another guard member near the White House around 2:15 pm on Wednesday. Other nearby guards subdued the attacker, who was expected to be charged with first-degree murder.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe had been deployed to Washington as part of President Trump’s crackdown on crime since August.
Their families are mourning their loss, with vigils scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in their honor. Adam Carr, Beckstrom’s former boyfriend, described her as “caring and tenderhearted.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/us/politics/dc-shooting-victims-beckstrom-wolfe.html