The day after a shooting near the White House left two newly sworn members of the National Guard critically injured, Sarah Beckstrom’s father expressed doubts about her survival.
Gary Beckstrom shared, via phone, “I’m holding her hand right now. She is mortally wounded. She will never recover.” His 20-year-old daughter’s fate appears grim, according to sources.
The incident happened around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, close to the Farragut West subway station in Washington, D.C., leading to a temporary lockdown of the White House. Authorities reported that the alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Rakanwal, 29, is now in custody after the attack.
Janine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, noted that Beckstrom and Andrew Wolf, 24, were both in uniform as members of the West Virginia National Guard, deployed under an executive order from former President Donald Trump to secure the capital. The two soldiers had been sworn in less than a day prior to the shooting.
Pirro explained that Rakanwal, who arrived in the United States in September 2021 under the Biden administration’s Operation Welcoming Allies following the withdrawal from Afghanistan, used a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver in the attack. She described his actions as deliberate, noting that he traveled across the country from Bellingham, Washington, specifically targeting the nation’s capital.
At a Thanksgiving morning press conference, Pirro detailed that one security guard was struck and then targeted again by the gunman. “Another security guard was also hit several times,” she added, confirming that Beckstrom and Wolf remain in critical condition following surgery.
The shooter is currently hospitalized under heavy security. Pirro mentioned that Rakanwal faces three counts of assault with intent to kill and firearm possession during a violent crime, with the potential for these charges to escalate to first-degree murder if either of the victims does not survive.
In response, former President Trump denounced the attack as a “crime against our country,” urging a review of the immigration process, especially concerning individuals from “Operation Welcome Allies.” He highlighted that Rakanwal’s status was extended by laws signed under the Biden administration, stressing the uncertainty surrounding who was allowed entry. “Nobody knew who was going to come in,” he stated during a national address on Wednesday night.
