Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old member of the West Virginia National Guard, is being mourned across her home state and the nation after her tragic death in Washington, D.C. Beckstrom was killed in an ambush-style shooting on November 26, 2025, just blocks from the White House, an event that has shaken communities from Summersville to the capital and prompted an outpouring of grief and calls for justice.
The attack occurred near the Farragut Square Metro Station around 2:15 p.m., according to USA Today. Beckstrom, along with Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, from Martinsburg, West Virginia, was serving as part of Operation DC Safe and Beautiful, a deployment ordered by President Donald Trump to bolster security in the nation’s capital. The two were shot in broad daylight, sending shockwaves through the ranks of the National Guard and the wider public.
Beckstrom was pronounced dead at MedStar Washington Hospital on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2025. Wolfe, who underwent surgery, remains in critical condition. The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal—an Afghan national who had previously served in an anti-Taliban force supported by the CIA and was living in Washington State—was also shot by authorities and hospitalized in serious condition. As reported by The New York Times, Lakanwal had driven across the country to carry out the attack, though his motive remains unclear.
“She was savagely attacked,” President Trump told service members by video, confirming Beckstrom’s death and expressing condolences. The president also spoke directly with Beckstrom’s family, according to a White House official. Trump described Beckstrom as “highly respected, young, [and] magnificent,” underscoring the profound loss felt by those who knew her.
Beckstrom’s journey to the National Guard began with her graduation from Webster County High School in June 2023, where she finished with honors. Driven by a desire to serve and a long-term goal of entering federal law enforcement, she enlisted in the Guard just weeks after finishing high school. Her assignment in D.C. was not initially welcomed—her former boyfriend, Adam Carr, told News4 that “she hated it. She was crying before she left, didn’t want to go and then she volunteered for longer. She really, really grew fond of being down there. Just volunteered for more time.”
Despite early misgivings, Beckstrom embraced her role in the capital, volunteering for additional time and finding joy in her surroundings. “She would go to the monuments while patrolling on duty, and then on her own off time she would go visit… museums and monuments on her own,” Carr recalled. Yet, her time in D.C. was not without hardship. Carr recounted Beckstrom’s frustrations with the treatment of Guard members: “Even though they were deputized, she said people would spit at her, throw things at her and cuss her out and wish death upon them and just simply be outrageous and assault them, and they couldn’t do nothing about it because they had no leeway.”
Before her deployment, Beckstrom worked as a community engagement specialist at Seneca Health Services in Summersville, supporting teens and young adults facing mental illness, substance abuse, or developmental disabilities. Marcie Vaughan, CEO of Seneca Health Services, described her as energetic, funny, and deeply compassionate. “She had a passion for serving people,” Vaughan said. “Her decision to join the National Guard and to become a member of the behavioral health profession… that requires a person to have compassion. The fact she volunteered shows courage and dedication.”
Her dedication did not go unnoticed. In a statement, Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, said, “She exemplified leadership, dedication, and professionalism. Her loss is felt profoundly across our One Guard Family and throughout the Mountain State.” Governor Patrick Morrisey echoed this sentiment, telling CBS News that “all the accounts about her over the last couple days have been nothing but so positive. She looked like she was loved by the people in her unit, and they also respected her greatly.”
The shooting also left Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe fighting for his life. Wolfe, a member of the 167th Airlift Wing’s Force Support Squadron, entered service in 2019. His family has requested prayers and warned the public against fraudulent fundraising efforts, as noted by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Wolfe was described by his high school principal as an “active, engaged, and high-achieving student who embodied the Applemen spirit.”
Authorities moved quickly in the aftermath of the shooting. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced that charges against Lakanwal would be upgraded to first-degree murder, along with three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that the government would pursue the death penalty in this case, underscoring the gravity with which officials are treating the attack.
Beckstrom’s death has left a void in her community. Summersville’s Mayor Robert Shafter announced a candlelight vigil to honor her, and people lined the streets during a procession from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office. Friends and classmates remembered her for her kindness, her surprising transformation from “girly girl” to military police officer, and her unwavering desire to help others.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, representing West Virginia, summed up the state’s collective grief and pride: “This is a devastating loss for her family, her fellow Guardsmen, and for our entire state. West Virginians proudly stand behind our men and women in uniform, and tonight we mourn alongside those who loved and served with Sarah. West Virginia will never forget Sarah’s service, her sacrifice, and the dedication she showed to her state and her country.”
As the investigation into the motives behind the attack continues, Beckstrom’s legacy of service, compassion, and courage endures in the hearts of those she touched. Her life, though tragically cut short, stands as a testament to the values she lived by and the difference one determined individual can make.
