Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who was shot near the White House on Wednesday, did not survive her injuries, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening.
Sarah Beckstrom, the 20-year-old National Guard member who was shot near the White House on Wednesday, has died.
President Donald Trump announced Beckstrom’s passing on Thursday evening, calling her a “highly respected, young, magnificent person” who was “outstanding in every way.”
“She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” Trump said from Mar-A-Lago.
The president subsequently spoke with Beckstrom’s parents, according to the White House.
Andrew Wolfe, 24, also shot in Wednesday’s attack, remains in critical condition.
“As you know, the other young man is fighting for his life. He’s in very bad shape. He’s fighting for his life,” Trump said. “And hopefully we’ll get better news with respect to him, and the monster that did this is also in serious condition, but we won’t even talk about him.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was “devastated” by the news.
“Devastated. Please pray for Sarah’s family. America will never forget her courage. There WILL BE JUSTICE for Sarah. Continue to pray for Andrew. Thank you to President Trump — the death penalty is back.”
On Thursday morning, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the man who shot Beckstrom and Wolfe will be charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence — as new information is revealed, including his ties to the CIA and the U.S.
Pirro said the shooter faces 15 years under the charge of assault with the intent to kill, adding additional charges would be filed if Beckstrom or Wolfe succumbed to their injuries.
“We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree,” Pirro said. “But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge: murder in the first degree.”
Beckstrom and Wolfe were sworn in less than 24 hours before the 29-year-old Afghan national opened fire just blocks from the White House, according to Pirro. Both underwent surgery for their injuries.
Trump, who was briefed on the shooting shortly after it occurred, has ordered 500 additional National Guardsmen to Washington. Trump called the attack “an act of evil and act of hatred and an act of terror.”
The shooter, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, used a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver to ambush the guardsmen “in a brazen attack.” Pirro said Lakanwal opened fire at approximately 2:15 p.m. without provocation. Fellow guardsmen on the scene responded immediately, neutralizing the threat and subduing the shooter. He was then transported to a local hospital where he remains under heavy guard.
Bondi told Fox & Friends on Thursday that the Justice Department “will do everything in our power to seek the death penalty against that monster who should not have been in our country.”
Standing with Pirro Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel said a search warrant has already been executed on his home and “all the individuals found in the house have been interviewed.”
“It’s an ongoing investigation of terrorism, make no mistake about it,” Patel said.
Patel also announced the FBI, along with the CIA and Department of Defense, are investigating the shooter’s background, including any known associates both overseas and in the U.S.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed to POLITICO that Lakanwal did have previous ties to the U.S. — including to the intelligence agency.
“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,” Ratcliffe said. “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.”
Following Wednesday’s shooting, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow announced on Thursday that the department would reexamine every immigrant holding a Green Card from a “country of concern.” Earlier this year, Trump imposed a travel ban on immigrants from 19 countries, including Afghanistan.