National Guard Member Dies After Targeted Ambush Near White House
Friday, November 28, 2025
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to what her father described as a "mortal wound" after being shot in a targeted attack blocks from the White House. The shooter, an Afghan national with CIA ties, is now facing federal charges as authorities investigate the incident as terrorism.
Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard specialist, died Thursday evening from injuries sustained in a Wednesday afternoon ambush shooting near the White House. Fellow guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in critical condition, fighting for his life. The shooter, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who worked with CIA-backed counterterrorism units during the war in Afghanistan, drove cross-country from Washington state to carry out what prosecutors are calling a "brazen and targeted" assault.
Lakanwal, who came to the U.S. in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome and was granted asylum in April 2025, used a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver to ambush the two guardsmen at a bus stop less than 24 hours after they were sworn in. President Trump has ordered 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington and called for a sweeping review of all asylum cases from Afghan nationals.
Key Facts
- Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from gunshot wounds; Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition
- Shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, worked with CIA-backed "zero units" in Kandahar, Afghanistan
- Attack occurred less than 24 hours after victims were deputized for D.C. patrol duty
- Suspect faces three counts of assault with intent to kill and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence
- FBI investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism; USCIS has suspended all immigration processing for Afghan nationals