Flags lowered to honor soldier killed in DC shooting

WASHINGTON On Thursday, Dec. 4, the White House directed that flags be lowered to half-staff to pay tribute to Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guard soldier who was killed in an ambush near the White House last week. The proclamation by President Donald Trump called for flags at federal buildings, military posts, naval stations, and vessels nationwide to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Dec. 4 as a gesture of respect for Beckstrom's memory.

Beckstrom, 20, from Summersville, West Virginia, died on Thanksgiving Day, following an attack by 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. The ambush took place just blocks from the White House. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, another National Guard member shot in the same incident, was critically injured but has recently shown signs of recovery.

Lakanwal has been charged with first-degree murder. He previously served with CIA-backed paramilitary groups in Afghanistan conducting secret operations against suspected terrorists. Federal authorities continue to investigate the shooting.

The two soldiers, Beckstrom and Wolfe, were deployed to Washington, D.C., as part of the West Virginia National Guards contribution to a mission to support local law enforcement. Approximately 170 West Virginia National Guard members remain in the capital, having volunteered for the assignment, according to Governor Patrick Morrisey.

The attack, described as a targeted act, has led authorities to treat the case as a terrorism-related incident. Community members have set up memorials near the site to honor the two soldiers.

Author: Jackson Miller