OAN Staff Blake Wolf
2:18 PM – Monday, December 1, 2025
Following last week’s targeted ambush shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members, Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, leading Beckstrom to succumb to her injuries the next day, President Donald Trump revealed that he personally invited the families of both service members for a visit.
Wolfe, fighting for his life, currently remains in critical condition after coming out of surgery last week.
“Andrew is fighting for his life, and his parents are unbelievably great people, highly religious people,” Trump told reporters. “They’re praying, and they want everybody to pray for Andrew, and he has a chance to make it.”
On Sunday, President Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the White House, revealing that he had personally invited the families of both service members to the White House. He began by recounting his conversation with Beckstrom’s grieving parents, whom he described as “devastated.”
“I said, ‘When you’re ready, because that’s a tough thing, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,” Trump continued. “And likewise with Andrew, [whether he] recover or not.”
Advertisement
20-year-old Beckstrom of Summersville, West Virginia, and 24-year-old Wolfe of Marlinsburg, West Virginia, were purportedly ambushed and shot by a 29-year-old Afghan national at close range near Farragut Square in Downtown D.C. — resulting in Beckstrom’s eventual passing.
The two had been deployed to Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to fight rampant crime in major cities across the United States.
During a Saturday vigil, paying his respects, Governor Patrick Morrisey (R-W.Va.) declared that Beckstrom was a “favorite daughter of Webster County,” adding that “she had a lot of kindness and she certainly had courage.”
“Though her life lasted far too short, she has left a mark that’s going to last forever … Sarah was the kind of student that teachers hoped for, she carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lifted people around her,” he continued, pointing to Beckstrom’s high school principal, Gabriel Markle. “She was sweet, caring and always willing to help others.”
Morrisey also provided an update on Monday in regard to Wolfe’s current condition, stating that he has received “some positive news.”
“We were told that Andrew was asked if he could hear the nurse who asked the question to give a thumbs up, and he did respond. And we were told that he also wiggled his toes,” Morissey stated. “So we take that as a positive sign.”
The accused shooter, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, now faces first-degree murder charges and two accounts of assault with intent to kill while armed, among other charges. Lakanwal previously entered the U.S. in September 2021 under the “Operational Allies Welcome” program, set up by the Biden administration following the former Democrat president’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.
Lakanwal served in a CIA-backed “Zero Unit,” also known as a Counterterrorism Pursuit Team or part of the Kandahar Strike Force/03 unit, in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. These units were elite Afghan paramilitary forces trained, equipped, and directed by the CIA to conduct high-risk counterterrorism operations. He joined the unit as a teenager initially as a security guard before advancing to team leader and GPS specialist roles. He was later evacuated to the U.S. in 2021, received asylum in April 2025, and resettled in Washington state with his family.
The CIA reportedly prioritized the evacuation of the Zero Units during the 2021 withdrawal — as they were “most likely to be persecuted” by the Taliban for their efforts.
Lakanwal is accused of traveling across the country to commit the heinous shooting, and investigators are still “working to establish a motive,” despite some law enforcement statements suggesting that an Islamist motive is likely.
A law enforcement source who verified his identity and rank to reporters but spoke on condition of anonymity told the press that Lakanwal shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he opened fire on the National Guard members. Multiple additional law enforcement sources, eyewitnesses, and at least one National Guardsman present at the scene have also corroborated that Lakanwal shouted the phrase during the attack. No official has disputed these accounts, and investigators have repeatedly cited the declaration in briefings as a key factor in their ongoing classification of the shooting as a potential act of terrorism.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi has since revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) intends to seek the death penalty.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below