One of two National Guard members shot and critically injured near the White House has died on Thanksgiving Day, roughly 24 hours after the shooting, President Donald Trump said.

Trump shared the death of West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Webster Springs, West Virginia, during his Thanksgiving address from Florida. Beckstrom’s father, Gary, told the New York Times earlier in the day that Sarah has a “mortal wound” and is not expected to survive.

“My baby girl has passed to Glory. If I don’t talk to you don’t be offended this has been a horrible tragedy,” according to a social media post by Beckstrom’s father and verified by ABC News.

The second National Guard member, Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition, Trump said.

“I’m absolutely devastated to learn that Sarah Beckstrom passed away today after suffering a mortal wound in yesterday’s terrorist attack in Washington, D.C. Cathy and I are heartbroken beyond words. Our prayers are with her family, friends, and fellow guardsmen during an incredibly difficult Thanksgiving Day. We are also lifting up Andrew Wolfe in prayer as he continues his journey to recovery. West Virginians always show up for one another, and today it’s our turn to show up for our service members as they mourn this terrible loss,” said West Virginia Senator Jim Justice.

Federal and local officials Thursday morning, described the attack as unprovoked and “ambush style.”

“Two families are shattered and destroyed,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said during the Thanksgiving morning press conference.

Pirro said both guardsmen were serving in D.C. under President Trump’s executive order aimed at boosting security in the District. She believes both were “sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot.”

“They were uniformed members of the West Virginia National Guard, and they were in D.C. to keep D.C. safe,” she said. “They answered the call, they volunteered, they put their lives on the line for people they don’t even know — and that is becoming a reality more and more for members of law enforcement.”

Both Guard members were initially scheduled to leave D.C. on Nov. 30 but volunteered to stay until the end of the year, West Virginia officials said. Beckstrom served with the 863rd Military Police Company, according to the National Guard.

“On behalf of Governor Patrick Morrisey and the entire West Virginia National Guard, I extend my deepest condolences to Spc. Beckstrom’s family, friends, and fellow Guardsmen. We grieve alongside them and honor her memory by carrying forward her commitment to service, integrity, and excellence,” said Major General Jim Seward, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, in a statement.

Investigators said the suspect, described as a lone gunman, opened fire “without provocation,” using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.

She confirmed both victims — 24-year-old Andrew Wolf (right) and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom (left) — remain in critical condition. Pirro said she believes both were “sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot.” (7News)

Officials said he drove his vehicle cross-country from Washington state before the attack.

The attack unfolded around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday near 17th and I streets NW, across from Farragut Square. District Mayor Muriel Bowser said the shooting was “targeted.” Both victims serving with the West Virginia National Guard were shot in the head, a top-ranking source told 7News.

Law enforcement identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. The Department of Homeland Security said he is an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in September 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program.

Authorities announced preliminary charges, including three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. One of the charges carries a possible 15-year sentence, and additional charges may follow.

“Make no mistake — we intend to continue monitoring what the charges will be, depending on the well-being of the Guardsmen,” Pirro said. “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”

Pirro said the Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, is committed to a “thorough and impartial investigation” and will hold the suspect accountable “under the full weight” of federal law.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has indefinitely suspended all immigration requests for Afghan nationals following the shooting.

Wolfe, a former student at Musselman High School in Inwood, West Virginia, and Beckstrom remain at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, according to a close source of 7News.

A screenshot of a Facebook post of Andrew Wolfe, one of two National Guard members shot and injured in a shooting in Northwest, D.C., on Nov. 26, 2025. (Musselman High School/ Facebook)

President Donald Trump called the shooting a “heinous assault” and “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.”

Authorities said during the shooting, the soldiers returned fire and wounded the shooter, who was quickly taken into custody. Law enforcement said Lakanwal was reportedly shot four times.

Since the incident, Secretary of War Pete Hegseh is sending 500 additional National Guard troops to the nation’s capital.

Members of the National Guard gather after reports of two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington, November 26, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

“America will never bend and never yield in the face of terror, and at the same time, we will not be deterred from the mission the service members were so nobly fulfilling. That is why tonight I can announce that I have directed the Department of War to mobilise an additional 500 troops to help protect our capital city,” Trump announced.

Trump described the incident as a “monstrous ambush-style attack.” The motive of the shooting remains unknown.

Additionally, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirms the alleged shooter worked for the U.S. government, including the CIA, in Afghanistan.

Ratcliffe’s full statement:

“In the wake of the disastrous Biden Withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden Administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. Government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation. This individual — and so many others — should have never been allowed to come here. Our citizens and servicemembers deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden Administration’s catastrophic failures. God bless our brave troops.”

ABC News reports that the suspect was granted asylum earlier this year after Biden left office.