Sarah Beckstrom, the 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member who was critically wounded in an ambush-style shooting near the White House on Wednesday, had volunteered to work that day so others could enjoy Thanksgiving with their families.
Beckstrom is now fighting for her life with what her father describes as a “mortal wound,” and she is not expected to recover.
“She volunteered to be there on Thanksgiving — working today — she volunteers, as did many of those guardsmen and women so other people could be home with their families,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi said during an appearance on Fox News on Thursday.
“Yet now, their families are in hospital rooms with them while they are fighting for their lives.”
HEARTBREAKING: The female National Guard member who was shot in DC VOLUNTEERED to specifically serve in Washington DC on Thanksgiving
PAM BONDI: “The young woman volunteered to be there on Thanksgiving, working today. As did many of those Guardsmen and women, so others… pic.twitter.com/a3nrdgIiBU
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 27, 2025
Beckstrom’s father, Gary, told the New York Times, “I’m holding her hand right now.”
The grieving father added, “She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.”
The terror attack conducted by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, unfolded around 2:15 p.m. near 17th and I streets NW, across from Farragut Square in Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House.
Beckstrom and her fellow guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were on patrol when they were ambushed without any warning.
Both victims had been sworn in less than 24 hours before the attack.
Lakanwal, who arrived in the U.S. during Biden’s 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal under Operation Allies Welcome, has been taken into custody.
The terrorist, who previously worked with U.S. Special Forces and the CIA in Afghanistan, drove cross-country from Washington state to carry out the attack using a .350 Smith & Wesson revolver.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, during a press conference on Thursday, announced the current charges against Lakanwal, which include three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, which carry up to 15 years in prison.
Lakanwal will face additional charges if either of the victims does not survive.
In response to the shooting, President Trump has called for a comprehensive review of Afghan refugee cases from the 2021 evacuation, highlighting ongoing concerns about vetting processes under the previous administration.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also halted immigration from Afghanistan indefinitely to reassess security protocols.
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