CloseNational Guard member Sarah Beckstrom sustained a “mortal wound” when she was shot in what authorities are calling a targeted attack in D.C., her father told the New York Times Thursday.
Beckstrom’s father, Gary Beckstrom, told NYT over the phone, “[Sarah] has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.”
Beckstrom, 20, was shot alongside National Guard member Andrew Wolfe, 24, Wednesday afternoon. Both had come out of surgery by Thursday morning but were in “critical condition.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department was looking at pursuing the harshest charges against the suspected shooter, which could include the death penalty if one of the Guard members dies.
The suspected shooter was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the country in September 2021. He was living in Bellingham, Washington with his wife and five children, according to officials.
In the wake of the shooting, President Donald Trump ordered Citizenship and Immigration Services to conduct a “rigorous” reexamination of people from 19 “countries of concern.”
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BREAKING: Trump says national guard Sarah Beckstrom has died
Donald Trump has announced that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guards shot in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, has died.
“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,” Trump said in a Thanksgiving call to service members.
“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” the president continued.
“This just happened, Trump continued. “She was savagely attacked, she’s dead now.”
Mike Bedigan27 November 2025 23:44
Residents of complex where suspect lived recall FBI raid
Residents of the two-building apartment where D.C. shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal lived have recalled their “shock and surprise” after the building was raided by the FBI.
“We thought they were ICE at first,” Rachael Haycox, who was asleep on the third floor of her apartment when the raid occurred around 3 a.m., told The New York Times.
“But they yelled F.B.I. and that they had a search warrant.”
Haycox told the outlet that agents pulled a man out of the unit, pushed him against the wall and restrained him.
A flying drone and a wheeled robot were sent into the apartment for the search, which lasted about two hours in the early hours of Thursday.
Mike Bedigan27 November 2025 23:42
Head of Afghan advocacy group slams Stephen Miller over Thanksgiving attacks on immigrants
Shawn VanDiver, head of advocacy group AfghanEvac, ripped into White House senior advisor Stephen Miller and his wife over their continued Thanksgiving day attacks on immigrants.
Van Diver replied to a post by Katie Miller, in which she boasted of her husbands efforts to slow the entry of Afghan military allies into the U.S.
“Katie and Stephen are spending their thanksgiving attacking immigrants, the thing they love to do most,” he wrote.
“We aren't going to be tricked. One man's lunatic behavior mustn't be used to vilify a whole community, especially one that stood by us for so long.”
Mike Bedigan27 November 2025 23:15
Watch: National Guard shooter 'drove across the country to ambush troops in DC'
Mike Bedigan27 November 2025 22:50
Recap: What is Operation Allies Welcome? The refugee scheme that allowed DC shooting suspect into the US
The man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House Wednesday night entered the country through Operation Allies Welcome, a resettlement program to assist Afghan nationals.
Harry Cockburn has more:
What is Operation Allies Welcome? The refugee scheme that allowed DC suspect into US
Trump claims Biden-era scheme has let in ‘20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners’, but government figures reveal fewer than 200,000 people have entered US through resettlement programMike Bedigan27 November 2025 22:31
Watch: Trump calls for reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under Biden admin after National Guard shooting
Independent Video27 November 2025 22:00
Mayor of Bellingham cooperating with authorities
Kim Lund, the mayor of Bellingham, Washington, said she was working with federal authorities to help investigate the man accused of shooting two National Guard members on Wednesday.
“As mayor of Bellingham, I am directing local resources to be ready to support the FBI’s investigation. We share the resolve to see justice and accountability for this violent attack,” Lund said in a statement.
The suspected shooter resided in Bellingham with his wife and five children, according to authorities.
A “coast to coast” investigation is underway, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Ariana Baio27 November 2025 21:31
Motive still unclear
More details about the suspected shooter’s life have emerged in the 24 hours after shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. – but it remains unclear what his motive was.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that the shooting appeared to be “targeted.” But why the suspected shooter chose to target National Guard troops in the nation’s capital is uncertain.
Ariana Baio27 November 2025 21:00
Governor of West Virginia visited with National Guard members
Governor Patrick Morrisey, of West Virginia, visited with the two National Guard members who were shot Wednesday as well as their families, in Washington, D.C.
“I’m asking every West Virginian to pray for our two Guardsmen as their families, friends, and neighbors struggle with this unspeakable tragedy,” Morrisey said in a statement.
“These two Guardsmen voluntarily stepped up and risked everything for our state and nation – they are our protectors and some of the most courageous West Virginians you could possibly imagine.”
In a press release from the governor’s office, they acknowledged the two Guard members were in “very critical condition.”
Ariana Baio27 November 2025 20:00
Head of immigration says certain Green Card holders will be reexamined
Green Card holders who come from “countries of concern” will be reexamined, the head of Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Thursday.
In the wake of the attack on two National Guard members, Joseph Edlow, the head of USCIS, said any Green Card holder from the list of concerning countries will undergo a “full-scale, rigorous” reexamination.
The announcement was made at the direction of President Donald Trump
The State Department currently identifies several countries of “particular” concern but earlier this year, Trump restricted entry from 19 countries.
That includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
He also partially restricted entry from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
