On November 26, 2025, at approximately 2:15 PM EST, two members of the West Virginia National Guard fell victim to an ambush-style shooting near the Farragut West metro station in downtown Washington, D.C. The location sits about two blocks northwest of the White House. The guardsmen had been conducting a high-visibility patrol when the suspect approached and fired multiple shots at them, initially using a .357 Magnum revolver. An exchange of gunfire ensued, with 10 to 15 shots fired in total. The suspect sustained wounds—shot four times and stabbed with a pocket knife by one of the victims—before other troops subdued him and took him into custody at the scene.
Authorities have identified the victims as follows:
U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Summersville, West Virginia, who suffered a head wound and died from her injuries on November 27, 2025, after undergoing surgery at a local hospital.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, who also sustained a head wound and underwent surgery. Medical staff initially listed him in critical condition, yet he has displayed positive signs of recovery and remains in serious but stable condition as of December 1, 2025.
Law enforcement officials have named the suspect in custody as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national from Khost Province. Lakanwal entered the United States on September 8, 2021, through Operation Allies Welcome, a humanitarian parole program designed for vulnerable Afghans in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He submitted an asylum application in December 2024, which received approval in April 2025. At the time, Lakanwal lived in Bellingham, Washington, alongside his wife and five children, and he carried no prior criminal record within the United States.
Records indicate that Lakanwal served as a contractor for a CIA-backed paramilitary “Zero Unit” within the Afghan National Directorate of Security, beginning around 2011 when he was about 15 years old. His role involved operations in Kandahar Province, which some reports have characterized as death squads. Lakanwal reportedly contended with mental health challenges, such as extended periods of isolation, manic episodes, and challenges in maintaining employment.
Prosecutors have charged Lakanwal with murder in connection with Beckstrom’s death, along with attempted murder. Although hospitalized to treat his injuries, he faces no life-threatening conditions and has declined to assist investigators. Federal authorities executed search warrants at Lakanwal’s residence in Bellingham and at an address in San Diego.
Investigators from federal agencies continue to examine possible motives behind the attack, among them financial pressures, the recent death of a possible close relation to Lakanwal, and ongoing mental health concerns. Officials have uncovered no public evidence tying Lakanwal to any terrorist organization, and they have refrained from filing terrorism charges, even as they classify the incident as a potential act of terrorism. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on NBC News on Sunday that officials believe Lakanwal was “radicalized” while living in the U.S.
President Trump and other members of the administration have attributed responsibility for Lakanwal’s entry into the United States in 2021 to policies enacted under the Biden administration. Vice President JD Vance remarked that Lakanwal “shouldn’t have been in our country,” adding, “We will first bring the shooter to justice, and then we must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country.” Secretary Noem called for enhanced vetting measures, declaring, “We are going to go through every single person that has a pending asylum claim.”