Devastated dad of National Guard soldier, 20, shot in DC 'terror attack' says she will not survive
The devastated dad of one of the National Guard members gunned down in a suspected terror attack has revealed that she will not survive her injuries.
Sarah Beckstrom's father, Gary, provided the update on Thursday, just one day after his daughter was shot in Washington, DC.
'She has a mortal wound, it's not going to be a recovery,' he told the New York Times, speaking from her bedside. 'I'm holding her hand right now.'
Beckstrom was 'ambushed' alongside fellow West Virginia National Guard member Andrew Wolfe.
Wolfe's father, asked for prayers today as the 24-year-old remains in critical condition.
'Please pray for my son,' Jason Wolfe told CNN, adding that his son is 'a great person' and 'a fighter'
Jason Wolfe did not provide an update on his son's condition.
Afghan suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was injured during the shooting and is currently in custody in hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.
Sarah Beckstrom's father, Gary Beckstrom, said his daughter will not survive injuries she sustained from being shot while on duty in Washington, DC
Sarah is seen here alongside her father Gary in an image shared to social media
Lakanwal allegedly shot the National Guard soldiers just 800 yards from the White House on Wednesday.
The suspect drove across the country from his home in Bellingham, Washington state, where he lived with his wife and five children near the Canadian border, authorities said.
The soldiers were shot by a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver.
Afghan soldier Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was named as the alleged gunman in custody over the horror shoot-out
Fingerprints matched to Lakanwal, who fled to the US following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
Donald Trump last night blamed Joe Biden and called for a review of 'every single alien from Afghanistan who has entered our country'.
He said in an address to the nation: 'The suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth.
'He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021, on those infamous flights that everybody was talking about. Nobody knew who was coming in.
'His status was extended under legislation signed by President Biden, a disastrous president, the worst in our history.'
CIA director John Ratcliffe revealed that Lakanwal had direct links to the intelligence agency from his work alongside US Special Forces in Afghanistan, where he served as an elite commander.
Beckstrom was 'ambushed' with fellow West Virginia National Guard member Andrew Wolfe
The two National Guard soldiers were shot yards from the White House on Wednesday
Wolfe was shot alongside Beckstrom in Washington, DC on Wednesday
Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024 and was approved by Trump's Department of Homeland Security in April of this year, according to CNN.
Lakanwal's ID card identifies him as a commander in Unit 01, an elite force within the former Afghan government's National Directorate of Security, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
A motive for the shooting has not been released by law enforcement, but the FBI led by Director Kash Patel is investigating whether the attack could have links to international terror.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's notes during a Thursday briefing mentioned the suspected shooter yelled 'allahu akbar' before the attack.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were in the nation's capital as part of the President's crime-fighting mission that involved taking over the local police department.
Nearly 2,200 Guard members were deployed to DC as part of the drive.
Following the shooting, the President's administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to the city.
Lakanwal currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said on Thursday that 'it's too soon to say' what the suspect's motives were.
She added: 'We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree.
'But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.'
