A person walks past a makeshift memorial for U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe outside of Farragut West Station, near the site where the two National Guard members were shot on Dec. 1 in Washington, D.C.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
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Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The ambush-style attack last week in Washington, D.C. that killed one National Guard soldier and wounded another has brought grief to a West Virginia community and profound implications for refugees, while a troubling profile of the suspect emerges.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) speaks while West Virginia National Guard Maj. Gen. James Seward (L) looks on during a news conference on Dec. 1 at the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston, W.Va.
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John Raby/AP
At a press conference on Monday, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said he received word from Andrew Wolfe’s family that the 24-year-old remains in serious condition but has shown some progress.
“We were told that Andrew was asked if he could hear the nurse who asked the question to give a thumbs up, and he did respond,” Morrisey said. “And we were told that he also wiggled his toes. So we take that as a positive sign.”
Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom — both members of the West Virginia National Guard — were on patrol on Thanksgiving eve just blocks from the White House when a gunman came around the corner and opened fire at close-range, authorities said. Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, remains in custody and faces a first-degree murder charge. Authorities say Lakanwal drove across the country from his home in Washington state to the nation’s capital to carry out the unprovoked attack.
A refugee resettlement volunteer who worked closely with Lakanwal’s family told NPR that the suspect did not show any signs of radicalization — like some U.S. officials have suggested. Instead, the volunteer said they worried about Lakanwal’s wellbeing and feared he was suffering a mental health crisis.
Last week, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said the alleged gunman will be charged with terrorism and she will seek the death penalty if either soldier died.
Here’s what to know.
High school principal describes Beckstrom as “always willing to help others”
A photo is displayed of National Guard member Specialist Sarah Beckstrom in Webster Springs, W.Va., on Nov. 28.
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Kathleen Batten/AP
Beckstrom joined the service in 2023, but her commitment to serving others was a defining part of her character, according to Gabriel Markle, the principal at Webster County High School, which Beckstrom attended.
“She carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lifted people around her,” Markle said at a vigil organized at the high school on Saturday night.
He added, “She was sweet, caring and always willing to help others.”
Gov. Morrisey, who was also in attendance, said Beckstrom’s family and friends described her as having “a bright smile, a very big heart, and someone who loved to serve others.”
“She wore that uniform with pride,” he said. “And this deserves to be said a few times, she volunteered for the mission,” referring to the troop deployment in D.C.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed to the nation’s capital in August, when President Trump first brought in troops, saying they were needed to address crime. The deployments have been met with pushback from both local Democratic leaders who said they were unnecessary and federal court judges, who have questioned their legality.
According to Morrisey, Beckstrom and Wolfe were friends leading up to the attack last week. “I’ve heard some of the stories that they talked, they liked each other, they talked fondly about each other,” he added.
The suspect was withdrawn and possibly suffering from PTSD
This photo showing Rahmanullah Lakanwal was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Nov. 27.
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New details suggest that Lakanwal was suffering from a personal crisis leading up to the attack, NPR’s Brian Mann reported.
A refugee resettlement volunteer who worked closely with Lakanwal’s family said the suspect spent a lot of time alone in his bedroom without speaking to his wife and kids.
“My biggest concern was that [Lakanwal] would harm himself,” the volunteer said. “I worried he would be suicidal because he was so withdrawn.” The volunteer spoke with NPR on condition of anonymity because they said they feared retaliation for having worked with Afghan refugees, including Lakanwal.
Before he moved to the U.S., Lakanwal served in one of Afghanistan’s elite counterterrorism units, which was operated by the CIA and focused on fighting the Taliban. When the Taliban seized control of Kabul in 2021, Lakanwal was evacuated by the U.S. military and later, resettled to the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome.
According to the volunteer, Lakanwal struggled to find a stable job and adjust to life in the U.S., which led to growing isolation. The volunteer added that Lakanwal was prone to take cross-country drives without telling his family.
Trump administration toughens immigration policies
A makeshift memorial of flowers and American flags stands outside the Farragut West Metro station on Dec. 1 in Washington, D.C.
Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America
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Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America
The shooting in D.C. has also led to swift and sweeping changes to multiple immigration processes.
NPR’s Ximeno Bustillo reported that the administration has paused all visa reviews for people from Afghanistan. That includes special immigrant visas, a program specifically designed to relocate those who had helped the U.S. military and its allies, and were at risk living under Taliban rule.
Some veterans and refugee advocates criticized the policy changes, arguing that an entire community should not be punished for the actions of one person.
“Our hearts are absolutely broken for our Afghan allies, who have already endured more trauma, loss, and sacrifice than most Americans can imagine,” Shawn VanDiver, who leads #AfghanEvac, a group that supports the resettlement of Afghans to the U.S., said in a statement.
More broadly, the administration halted all asylum decisions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said reviews will not restart until the agency has “dealt with the backlog” which is currently over a million cases.
“That backlog needs to be cleared up,” Noem said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press.“
Joseph Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, also ordered a sweeping review of green card holders from “every country of concern” — referring to a list of 19 countries that the administration previously ruled has “deficient” vetting and screening.
