National Guard Member Killed in Attack Near White House
An Afghan national shot and killed a 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, near the White House the day before Thanksgiving. The 29-year-old suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021 after serving with CIA-linked paramilitary units in Afghanistan, drove cross-country to launch an ambush-style attack with a .357 revolver on the two Guard members patrolling just blocks from the White House. Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, the second victim, remains hospitalized and is slowly healing.
Following the shooting, President Trump ordered 500 additional troops to Washington and announced a permanent pause on migration from “all Third World Countries,” while the administration launched a full-scale reexamination of all green cards from 19 designated “countries of concern.” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro charged the suspect with first-degree murder and said the motive remains under investigation, though CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated Lakanwal worked with the agency during the war and entered through Operation Allies Welcome flights that evacuated Afghans after the 2021 withdrawal.
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