Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump announced Thursday, November 27, 2025, that 20-year-old National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom from West Virginia was killed in a shooting late Wednesday night just blocks from the White House.
Kabul 24: Speaking during the traditional Thanksgiving video call with U.S. troops, a visibly emotional Trump said: “Minutes ago I was told Sarah is gone. She’s looking down on us from heaven right now. She was an incredible young woman.”The second soldier, Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolf, remains in critical condition, fighting for his life. Both were part of National Guard units deployed to Washington, D.C., under Trump’s orders to combat rising crime in the capital.
The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national and U.S. permanent resident, is also in critical condition after being wounded by return fire.
Hours later, CIA Director John Ratcliffe revealed that Lakanwal had previously worked closely with the agency in Afghanistan as a member of the CIA-backed NDS-03 intelligence unit. He entered the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome and was granted asylum in spring 2025.
Trump called the attack “pure evil” and vowed the suspect, if he survives, will face “the fastest and harshest federal punishment possible, including the death penalty.” Federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro confirmed she will seek capital punishment.
In an immediate response, the Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, launched a sweeping review of permanent residency and asylum status for all citizens of Afghanistan and 18 other countries, including Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, and Iran. The move could result in the revocation of thousands of green cards and mass deportations.The FBI has opened an investigation into possible domestic terrorism with foreign roots.
The incident occurred just days after a federal court ruled the current National Guard deployment in D.C. unlawful; Trump responded by requesting 500 additional troops.
West Virginia lowered flags to half-staff, with the governor calling Beckstrom “a hero of our state and nation.” The shooting on Thanksgiving eve has stunned the country and reignited fierce debate over Biden-era vetting of former Afghan collaborators and national security policy.
