One of many two members of the Nationwide Guard who had been shot in Washington DC on Wednesday has died, US President Donald Trump mentioned.
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her accidents, whereas the second Nationwide Guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, “is preventing for his life”, Trump mentioned on Thursday night.
Each had been shot at shut vary close to Farragut Sq. in downtown DC simply after 14:00 EST (19:00 GMT) on Wednesday. Police have arrested one suspect within the capturing, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan.
The assault has prompted a spread of bulletins from the Trump administration aimed toward curbing migration from Afghanistan and quite a lot of different international locations.
The 2 troopers who had been attacked had been deployed to the American capital as a part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on what it sees as rampant crime in a number of US cities.
Trump confirmed Ms Beckstrom’s loss of life whereas on a Thanksgiving name with US service members.
“Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of many guardsmen that we’re speaking about, extremely revered, younger, magnificent particular person… She’s simply handed away. She’s now not with us,” he mentioned.
Trump later spoke to her mother and father, a White Home official instructed BBC’s US companion CBS Information.
The US president beforehand mentioned the assault underlined a serious nationwide safety risk.
Within the wake of the incident, officers mentioned they’d droop processing all immigration requests from Afghans, and re-examine inexperienced playing cards issued to people who migrated to the US from 19 international locations.
When requested by the BBC which international locations had been on the record, the company pointed to a June proclamation by the White Home that included Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia and Venezuela.
On Thursday, Trump went on to vow to “completely pause migration” to the US from all “third world international locations”, with out offering particulars of his plan or naming which international locations could be affected.
Sufferer had volunteered to work at Thanksgiving
Ms Beckstrom had enlisted on 26 June 2023 and was assigned to the 863rd Navy Police Firm, 111th Engineer Brigade of the West Virginia Military Nationwide Guard.
She had volunteered to work in Washington over the US vacation Thanksgiving, Legal professional Common Pam Bondi instructed Fox Information following the capturing.
Jim Justice, a Republican senator from West Virginia, mentioned he was “completely devastated” to study of Ms Beckstrom’s passing.
“Our prayers are together with her household, mates, and fellow guardsmen throughout an extremely tough Thanksgiving Day,” he mentioned in a press release.
“We’re additionally lifting up Andrew Wolfe in prayer as he continues his journey to restoration.”
Each troopers had been on a high-visibility patrol close to the nook of seventeenth and I streets, an space the place many workplace employees mill round at lunchtime.
Greater than 2,000 troops have been guarding the nation’s capital since August, when the president started deploying troops to cities to sort out what he referred to as “uncontrolled” crime.
Ms Beckstrom and Mr Wolfe had been amongst those that had been deployed in August, the West Virginia Nationwide Guard confirmed to BBC Information.
Nationwide Guard troops are a reservist pressure that may be activated to function army troops, however have restricted energy as they can not implement the legislation or make arrests.
The situation of the capturing, simply blocks from the White Home, meant quite a lot of legislation enforcement officers arrived rapidly on the scene to deal with the 2 victims and apprehend the gunman.
The suspect was shot 4 occasions, legislation enforcement sources instructed CBS.
Suspect as soon as labored alongside CIA in Afghanistan
Officers mentioned Mr Lakanwal got here to the US from Afghanistan in 2021.
He will likely be charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill whereas armed, in addition to possession of a firearm throughout against the law of violence, US Legal professional Jeanine Pirro instructed a information convention on Thursday morning, earlier than information of Ms Beckstrom’s loss of life.
“We’re praying that they survive and that the best cost won’t must be homicide within the first diploma,” Pirro had mentioned. “However make no mistake, if they don’t, that may actually be the cost: homicide within the first diploma.”
Bondi instructed Fox Information on Thursday that her workplace would search the loss of life penalty in opposition to the suspect, calling him a “monster who mustn’t have been in our nation”.
Mr Lakanwal reportedly got here to the US underneath a programme named Operation Allies Welcome, which supplied particular immigration protections to Afghans within the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
On the time, the Taliban had taken again management of Afghanistan, elevating fears of retribution in opposition to those that had co-operated with the US.
Mr Lakanwal had helped guard US forces at Kabul airport in 2021 as 1000’s scrambled to flee Afghanistan because the Taliban swept again to energy, a former army commander who served alongside him instructed the BBC.
The suspect had been recruited to Unit 03 of the Kandahar Strike Pressure. His unit was recognized domestically as Scorpion Forces, working initially underneath the CIA however finally for the Afghan intelligence division generally known as the Nationwide Directorate of Safety.
Mr Lakanwal was a GPS tracker specialist, the previous commander instructed the BBC, describing him as a “sporty and jolly character”.
His entire unit was moved from Kandahar to Kabul 5 days earlier than the Taliban entered the capital. They continued to guard the airport for an additional six days, earlier than they too had been airlifted out to the US.
At a press convention on Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed Mr Lakanwal’s connection to US forces, saying the suspect “had a relationship in Afghanistan with companion forces”, earlier than transferring to the US.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe mentioned he labored with the intelligence company.
Mr Lakanwal utilized for asylum in 2024, and his software was granted earlier this yr, an official instructed CBS.
Further reporting by Hafizullah Maroof and Sayed Abdullah Nizami