National Guard member shot near the White House dies; Trump: She was an incredible person

Trump did not mention Wednesday’s shooting in his posts, but they followed days of heightened rhetoric on immigration and refugees by the Trump administration after the attack. The suspected shooter is an Afghan national, officials said.

Sarah Beckstrom (20), a military specialist from West Virginia, was an “incredible person” who was “outstanding in every way,” Trump said during a video call with service members. “She died in the hospital with her parents by her side,” he added. The White House stated that Trump spoke with Beckstrom’s parents that evening.

Beckstrom and Air Force Sergeant Andrew Wolf (24) were seriously injured in what officials described as a targeted attack by the suspect, who was also injured and is in custody. Wolf remains hospitalized.

FOTO TANJUG/AP Photo/Emily Hanson

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanval (29), entered the U.S. in September 2021 as part of a resettlement program following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan the previous month, officials said. Federal authorities stated that Lakanval, who previously worked for the CIA, faces multiple criminal charges.

After the shooting, the Trump administration announced that it would indefinitely suspend the processing of immigration requests from Afghan nationals and review Afghans who were admitted to the United States under the Biden administration. On Thursday, Trump directed the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to re-examine the status of green card holders from 19 countries.

On Thursday evening, Trump posted lengthy messages on social media criticizing migrants, targeting elected Democratic officials, and threatening a wide range of changes to immigration policy, without providing specific details.

FOTO TANJUG/AP Photo/Emily Hanson

In his posts, Trump said he would “permanently stop migration from all Third World countries,” eliminate all federal benefits and subsidies for foreign nationals, and “denaturalize immigrants who undermine domestic peace.” The White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on his comments.

“These objectives will be carried out with the goal of significantly reducing illegal and problematic populations, including those admitted through unauthorized and illegal automatic approval processes,” he wrote, repeating accusations against his predecessor, President Joe Biden.

Rahmanullah Lakanval

The suspected shooter first came to the United States through the “Allies Welcome” operation, a Biden-era program created to help resettle Afghan nationals following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi L. Noem.

Lakanval was part of one of the CIA’s “zero units,” The Washington Post reported, citing several people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss investigation details.

These units, which the CIA has never publicly acknowledged, carried out missions to kill or capture members of the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other extremist groups, with intelligence and logistical support provided by the CIA and the U.S. military.

FOTO TANJUG/AP Photo/Emily Hanson

FBI Director Kash Patel called the case a “horrific act of terrorism,” but did not provide additional details or information on what led him to describe the attack that way.

Police have conducted multiple searches across the country, including at Lakanval’s residence in Bellingham, Washington, from where he reportedly traveled to carry out the ambush, officials said.

Beckstrom and Wolf, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were in the capital as part of the deployment of more than 2,000 troops from multiple states to address what Trump called a “crime-related emergency” in Washington. Trump said he had ordered the mobilization of an additional 500 troops to Washington following the attack. A judge recently ruled that their presence in the city was unlawful.