President Donald Trump has announced the tragic death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who died from injuries sustained in what is being described as a ‘terror attack’ in Washington D.C.
The 20-year-old was on duty near the White House on Wednesday night when she and her fellow West Virginia National Guard soldier, Andrew Wolfe, were ambushed.
On Thursday afternoon, Trump informed reporters of Beckstrom’s passing, expressing his sorrow over the loss.
“Just moments before I came out here, I heard the news about Sarah Beckstrom from West Virginia,” Trump stated. “She was a highly respected, young, and remarkable individual… exceptional in every way. Sadly, she has passed away.”
He continued, “She is no longer with us but is surely watching over. Her parents are by her side. It just happened. She was brutally attacked, and now she is gone.”
Trump described Beckstrom as “an incredible person, outstanding in every aspect,” adding, “It’s just terrible.”
Afghan suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is currently in custody while hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds allegedly sustained in the shootout.
Beckstrom’s devastated father, Gary, had earlier revealed she would not survive her injuries.
President Donald Trump has confirmed that National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom has died from her injuries after she was shot dead in a Washington D.C. ‘terror attack’
Trump announced Beckstrom’s death on Thursday night, describing her as an ‘incredible person’ and ‘outstanding in every way’
Afghan soldier Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was named as the alleged gunman
‘She has a mortal wound, it’s not going to be a recovery,’ he told The New York Times, speaking from her bedside. ‘I’m holding her hand right now.’
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said Beckstrom’s death was ‘not the result we hoped for, but it is the result we all feared.
‘Sarah served with courage, extraordinary resolve, and an unwavering sense of duty to her state and to her nation,’ he wrote in a moving tribute to X.
‘She answered the call to serve, stepped forward willingly, and carried out her mission with the strength and character that define the very best of the West Virginia National Guard.
‘Today, we honor her bravery and her sacrifice as we mourn the loss of a young woman who gave everything she had in defense of others.’
He vowed to ‘forever hold her family, her friends, and her fellow Guardsmen in our prayers as they grieve what no family should ever have to bear.’
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also offered condolences to the family on Thanksgiving, writing: ‘An American hero, at home with the LORD. RIP, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. May our nation kneel in prayer for her family.’
Suspect Lakanwal arrived in America in 2021 as part of the disastrous US withdrawal in Afghanistan after serving as an ally of Special Forces troops in his CIA-backed ‘Zero Unit.’
Sarah is seen here alongside her father Gary in an image shared to social media
Beckstrom was ‘ambushed’ with fellow West Virginia National Guard member Andrew Wolfe
He applied for asylum in 2024 after his temporary visa lapsed, and in April 2025, it was granted by the Trump administration.
On Thursday, a longtime friend shared details about his mental health battle struggling with the horrors he saw and violence he carried out as part of his duty within the unit.
‘When he saw blood, bodies, and the wounded, he could not tolerate it,’ the childhood friend told The New York Times.
‘It put a lot of pressure on his mind.’
The father-of-five was part of the elite paramilitary outfit which engaged in combat with the Taliban during the war in Afghanistan, often referred to as a ‘death squad.’
Lakanwal allegedly shot the National Guard soldiers just 800 yards from the White House on Wednesday.
The suspect drove across the country from his home in Bellingham, Washington state, where he lived with his wife and five children near the Canadian border, authorities said.
The soldiers were shot by a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver.
Footage emerged from the scene on Wednesday showing first responders performing CPR on a troop shot in the head
A member of law enforcement with a rifle at the scene near the White House
The duo were sworn in the day before they were shot, authorities revealed on Thursday.
DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that she believed the two ‘were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street’.
Lakanwal initially faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
But Pirro vowed those charges would be upgraded to murder in the first degree if either of his alleged victims did not survive.
‘We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree,’ she said prior to Beckstrom’s death.
‘But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.’
