Two members of the National Guard who were shot just a short distance from the White House on the eve of Thanksgiving have been identified in what authorities describe as a “targeted” attack.
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, are currently in critical condition after undergoing surgery, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, during a press briefing on Thursday morning.
Pirro noted, “Both Sarah and Andrew were sworn in less than 24 hours before this tragic incident occurred on the streets of Washington.”
Beckstrom and Wolfe are part of the West Virginia National Guard, who were deployed to the capital to help combat crime following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
A file photo shows National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, who was injured in the shooting incident in Washington D.C., on November 26, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Justice)
Pirro praised the dedication of the two guardsmen, stating, “They answered the call. They accepted the challenge. They volunteered. They risked their lives for people they have never met.”
Pirro spoke Thursday morning alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Brig. General Leland Blanchard of the National Guard. She provided new details about the shooting, including the weapon used by the suspect.
File photo of National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, who was wounded in a shooting incident in Washington D.C., on Nov. 26, 2025. (Provided by the Department of Justice)
Beckstrom and Wolfe were in uniform near the Farragut West Metro station around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday when they were “ambushed” in “a brazen and targeted attack,” Pirro said.
“A lone gunman opened fire without provocation, ambush style,” she said. “Armed with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver, one Guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the Guardsmen again. Another Guardsman is struck several times.”
Members of the National Guard gather after reports of two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Pirro said that other nearby Guardsmen immediately rushed the suspect. One responding Guardsman shot the suspect, who was quickly subdued.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was taken to a local hospital, where he remains under heavy guard, according to Pirro.
Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible act of international terrorism.
Undated file photo of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26, 2025. (Provided by the Department of Justice)
Patel said he spoke with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, confirming that the suspect had a relationship in Afghanistan with U.S. partner forces.
“We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well, to include any known associates that are either overseas or here in the United States of America,” he said.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He had his asylum application approved during the Trump administration.
Patel said federal authorities have executed multiple search warrants across the country, including at Lakanwal’s last known residence in Bellingham, Washington.
Emergency personnel gather near where National Guard soldiers appear to have been shot near the White House Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
“During that process, we seized numerous electronic devices to include cell phones, laptops, iPads and other material that is being analyzed as we speak,” he said.
Patel said that evidence found in Washington state led investigators to San Diego, where they are interviewing multiple subjects.
“Pursuant to that investigation [in Washington], and any known associates of the subject and of that house is how we ended up in San Diego, where interviews were conducted and are going to be continued to be conducted.”
Patel added: “And we will go anywhere in the country or the world where the evidence leads us.”
