President Donald Trump announced Thursday that one of the National Guardsmen attacked in Washington, DC, on Wednesday has died.
“I must unfortunately tell you that just seconds before I went on, right now I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person, started service in June of 2023, outstanding in every way, she’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us,” he said:
The shooting happened in the vicinity of the White House, which was put on lockdown, according to Breitbart News.
The man accused of attacking Beckstrom and a fellow guardsman was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was taken into custody following the attack.
Per Breitbart News:
According to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeannine Pirro, Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe were both uniformed members of the West Virginia National Guard, deployed under President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at securing the nation’s capital. Both soldiers had been sworn in less than 24 hours prior to the attack.
Pirro stated that Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in September 2021 under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, carried out the attack using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. She described the shooting as targeted, noting that Lakanwal drove across the country from his residence in Bellingham, Washington, specifically to reach the capital.
In his address to the nation following the violent attack, Trump said, “This heinous assault was an act of evil and act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity. Americans tonight are with those two West Virginian National Guard and their families.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the suspect in the case.
In his comments announcing Beckstrom’s passing, Trump added, “She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her. This just happened. She was savagely attacked. She’s dead, she’s not with us. Incredible person, outstanding in every single way, in every department. It’s horrible.”
