Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, has died after being shot Wednesday in Washington, D.C., and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition, officials said. President Trump confirmed Beckstrom’s death Thursday and said he spoke with her parents. Joint Task Force District of Columbia commander Col. Larry Doane called Beckstrom “a hero,” noting she had enlisted in the West Virginia National Guard in June 2023 and served as a military police soldier with the 863rd Military Police Company. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Wolfe was in critical condition after surgery.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News the two Guardsmen were on patrol outside a downtown Metro station when a gunman opened fire in what has been described as a “clear ambush” and a “calculated attack.” According to investigators, the shooter struck Beckstrom first; after firing four rounds from a handgun, he reportedly took Beckstrom’s weapon and used it to continue firing, wounding Wolfe. A third Guardsman stabbed the suspect with a pocketknife, and a fourth returned fire and shot the suspect multiple times, ending the attack.
Authorities identified the detained suspect as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Pirro said the suspect will be charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, though charges could change depending on the wounded service members’ medical outcomes. Sources said the suspect is not cooperating with investigators.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at the suspect’s last known address in Bellingham, Washington, seizing multiple electronic devices including cellphones, laptops and tablets that are being analyzed, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Multiple family members of the suspect have been interviewed, and investigators followed leads that included people associated with him in San Diego. Officials said no other suspects have been identified.
Investigators are exploring possible motives. One line of inquiry, cited by law enforcement sources, is that the suspect suffered from paranoia and other mental health challenges and believed authorities sought to deport him. Pirro cautioned it is too early to reach a definitive conclusion on motive.
U.S. officials said Lakanwal was paroled into the United States on humanitarian grounds in 2021 after the fall of Kabul and later applied for asylum; his asylum application was reported as granted in 2025 and his green card application remained pending. The Department of Homeland Security identified him as an Afghan national admitted to the U.S. in September 2021.
The shooting prompted new immigration actions from the Trump administration. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an indefinite pause on processing immigration applications filed by Afghan nationals. The administration also ordered a broad reexamination of green cards for immigrants from designated “countries of concern” and said it would review asylum cases approved under the prior administration — moves that drew scrutiny and signal a shift in screening and vetting policies.
Officials said the suspect previously worked with U.S. forces. The CIA confirmed he “previously worked with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar” that ended in 2021. Media reports have circulated an ID badge purporting to show the suspect was assigned to a so-called “Zero Unit” and referenced “Firebase Gecko,” though the badge’s authenticity has not been independently verified. A former Afghan commando told CBS News the suspect had led a special forces unit that worked with U.S. and British troops and that he had been deeply affected by the death of a close friend.
Pirro said federal law enforcement, led by the FBI, will follow evidence “anywhere in the country or the world where the evidence leads us.” Investigators continue to analyze the suspect’s digital footprint and other materials seized in searches in Washington state and California.
Elected officials and military leaders reacted to the attack. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia called Beckstrom’s death “a devastating loss for her family, her fellow Guardsmen, and for our entire state.” Sen. Jim Justice urged support for the families and the injured service member. Col. Doane and other National Guard officials expressed mourning and support for Beckstrom’s family and her fellow guardsmen. President Trump described Wolfe as “in very bad shape” and urged hope for his recovery, while Pirro asked the public to pray for the wounded.
Authorities said they will continue interviewing witnesses, family members and associates of the suspect, and will refine charges based on the case file and the victims’ medical outcomes. Investigators noted the suspect drove from Bellingham to Washington, D.C., before the attack. Law enforcement stressed it is too early to draw firm conclusions about motive or whether others were involved.