National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom Dies After Shooting Attack in Washington, D.C

National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom Dies After Shooting Attack in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guardsman from Summersville, West Virginia, has died from her injuries after a shooting in Washington, D.C., that left a fellow soldier fighting for his life.

Beckstrom was one of two members of the District of Columbia National Guard who were shot yesterday while on duty. According to officials, a gunman opened fire on the soldiers. Beckstrom was reportedly shot in the head and was rushed to a hospital, where she later died from the fatal wound.

Her colleague, who was also shot in the head, remains in critical condition at a separate hospital.

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Law enforcement sources have identified the suspected gunman as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national. Reports show he arrived in the United States in September 2021 under “Operation Allies Welcome,” the program created to resettle Afghans after the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was granted asylum in April of this year.

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President Donald Trump responded to the attack in a statement, calling the assailant an “animal.”

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” the President said. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”

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Following the attack, multiple reports indicate that President Trump is now considering a permanent ban on refugees from certain countries, a policy response linked directly to the suspect’s immigration status. Official details of any proposed policy have not been released.

The death of Specialist Beckstrom has sent waves of grief through her home community in West Virginia and across the National Guard. The incident has reignited debates over security for service members on domestic duty and the nation’s refugee and asylum policies.