One of the two West Virginia National Guard members who was wounded Wednesday in what authorities described as an ambush-style shooting in Washington, D.C., has died, President Trump said Thursday, and the second Guard member is “fighting for his life.”
Mr. Trump told reporters Thursday evening that 20-year-old Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died in the hospital.
“Right now I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person, started service in June of 2023, outstanding in every way, she has just passed away,” Mr. Trump said.
A White House official later said the president spoke with Beckstrom’s parents Thursday evening.
Earlier Thursday, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said the second victim, 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, was in critical condition after undergoing surgery.
Mr. Trump told reporters that Wolfe is “fighting for his life, he’s in very bad shape.”
“Hopefully, we’ll get better news in respect to him,” Mr. Trump added.
Mr. Trump also said the suspect in the shooting, previously identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was in serious condition.
Pirro said Thursday that both Guard members had been sworn into Guard duty less than 24 hours before the attack. The National Guard’s joint task force for the district later clarified that the two had been serving in the district since August, and they were deputized before the attack to maintain their status to conduct patrols.
Although they were deputized for deployment, the two Guard members were not operating as law enforcement and did not have arrest powers, multiple sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News Wednesday night.