At holidays, makeshift tribute at site of tragedy honors Beckstrom and Wolfe – WV MetroNews

This holy season, West Virginia National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe have not been forgotten in Washington, D.C.

The location where they were shot while on duty by the busy Farragut West public transportation stop now has a makeshift tribute with American flags, flowers, memorabilia, notes and signs to honor the Guard members.

“We mourn alongside you. Your pain is our pain. Your loss diminishes us all,” one sign reads.

Another sign reads, “Guardians of America, we honor you.”

Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were shot Nov. 26 while on duty in Washington, D.C.

Beckstrom, who graduated high school in 2023, died on Thanksgiving Day. “My baby girl has passed to glory,” her father, Gary Beckstrom, wrote in a social media post at 6:10 p.m. that day.

Wolfe continues to recover from serious injuries. “Andy is continuing to heal physically and neurologically. Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since this nightmare turned blessing occurred,” his mother, Melody Wolfe, wrote on social media this week.

They were among more than 300 members of the West Virginia National Guard originally deployed to Washington, D.C. in August for “Operation Safe and Beautiful.”

They joined about 2,750 Guard members from several states who participated in walking or standing patrols in heavily traveled areas like national parks or Metro stops.

In November, West Virginia officials decided to make the mission volunteer-only, and so Beckstrom and Wolfe were among about 160 who remained in Washington, D.C., as volunteers.

In a Christmas message, Maj. Gen. James Seward of the West Virginia National Guard wrote that the year “brought a sobering reminder of the risks we accept when we are in uniform. The shooting of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, while on duty in Washington, D.C., was a tragic moment for our entire Guard family.

“We mourn with their families, teammates, and units, and we honor their courage and selfless service. Their sacrifice reinforces the seriousness of our mission and the reality that service can place us in harm’s way. It also sharpens our responsibility as leaders and teammates to remain vigilant, to look out for one another, and to take care of our people—always.”

When tragedy struck at 2:13 p.m. Nov. 26, Beckstrom and Wolfe were among the National Guard members on patrol near the Farragut West transportation stop, named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, a Civil War-era naval officer known for his heroics and commanding “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

That’s a bustling downtown commercial district surrounded by big hotels, businesses and restaurants. It is within walking distance of many key landmarks. The location is about two blocks from the White House.

The suspect charged with murder and additional felonies, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had driven from his home in the State of Washington.

Video from a location near the crime scene shows the suspect standing on the sidewalk of I Street outside the Metro station for about a minute, looking west toward the intersection with 17th Street, according to an affidavit. The suspect then began running in the direction of the intersection.

At that moment, according to the affidavit, Beckstrom and Wolfe were engaged in conversation with two majors in the National Guard who were supervising the patrol in the area.

Shots rang out as the suspect rounded the corner and fired. One of the majors told investigators he heard the shots, saw Beckstrom and Wolfe fall to the ground and witnessed the suspect, who was dressed in a knee-length, dark-colored jacket and armed with a revolver, fire additional shots.

That major pulled out his service weapon and fired at the suspect, who fell to the ground and was detained by the second major.

Now, that site outside the Metro stop honors Beckstrom and Wolfe. It’s a busy corner with people walking by, some pausing to look at the display or read the signs. One afternoon this past week, a woman stopped and said a quiet prayer.

Photos released by the National Guard show that U.S. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana recently paused by the site while visiting National Guard members from his own state.

A handwritten message posted on a concrete wall thanks Beckstrom “for the ultimate sacrifice you made for our country and our freedoms. We will never forget.”

More signs welcome people to a prayer vigil or express support for Beckstrom’s grieving family.

One sign invites people to use paper and pens provided in a mailbox to write a note. One note from a child to Beckstrom’s family expresses empathy for the loss of a loved one.

“I pray that you will be OK soon. She was so very pretty,” the child wrote in the note. “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. God bless.”