Flags Lowered for Fallen Guardsman

On December 4, 2025, President Donald Trump has ordered that flags be lowered to half-staff in memory of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old member of the West Virginia National Guard who was fatally shot near the White House last week.

The proclamation expressed, “As a mark of respect for the memory of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds until sunset, December 4, 2025.”

Beckstrom was tragically shot in late November, just a day after an Afghan man, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly opened fire on two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

Lakanwal had entered the U.S. in 2021 under a program aimed at resettling Afghans following the turmoil of the U.S. withdrawal. His asylum request was granted this past April.

In a courageous response to the shooting, another Guardsman tackled Lakanwal and struck him. However, Lakanwal was then shot by law enforcement during the incident and subsequently hospitalized.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, has stated that if either of the injured Guardsmen succumbs to their injuries, Lakanwal will face first-degree murder charges. He is also charged with intent to kill while armed and illegally possessing a firearm during a violent crime.

During a virtual court appearance from his hospital bed, Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, the other Guardsman injured in the shooting, remains in critical condition.

In the wake of this incident, President Trump characterized the shooting as a “terrorist attack.” He also announced plans to pause immigration from certain countries—nineteen in total—deemed high risks to national security, Afghanistan being one of them.