'Encouraging update' on health of seriously wounded National Guardsman shot in DC

Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, one of the two National Guard members wounded in a shooting near the White House last week, is gradually recovering, officials reported. West Virginia Governor Craig Caplan stated during a press briefing on Monday, Andrew remains in serious condition. We received encouraging news: when asked if he could hear, he responded with a thumbs up and even wiggled his toes.

The other Guard member involved, Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries last week. Authorities confirmed that around 170 West Virginia National Guard personnel are still deployed in the capital following the incident.

The attack was allegedly carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national and former U.S. intelligence collaborator, who reportedly turned a corner and opened fire on the troops near the White House. Officials later shot and captured Lakanwal, who is now facing federal murder charges. Lakanwal was hospitalized after his arrest.

Before the attack, Lakanwal had worked with the CIA in Afghanistan as part of a paramilitary Zero Unit and served in the Afghan Army for about a decade alongside U.S. Special Forces. He was brought to the U.S. through the 2021 Operation Allies Welcome program, which resettled approximately 76,000 Afghans who assisted the U.S. during its operations against the Taliban. Lakanwals asylum request was approved in April under the Trump administration.

Prior to the shooting, Lakanwal and his family resided in a furnished apartment in Bellingham, Washington. Reports indicate he had been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the incident. Following the attack, the Trump administration temporarily halted all asylum decisions and deployed an additional 500 National Guard troops to strengthen operations in Washington, D.C.

A memorial has been set up in Washington, D.C., honoring Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, who were shot just blocks from the White House.

Author: Sophia Brooks