Beckstrom and Wolfe were part of the West Virginia National Guard and were serving on the DC Safe and Beautiful Mission when they were shot. (Photo: AP) Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, on Friday said that one of the two National Guard members injured in the shooting in Washington on Wednesday remains in a critical condition.
24-year-old Andrew Wolfe and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom were critically injured in the firing by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.
‘Doing everything we can’
While Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, Pirro told Fox News that Wolfe, who underwent surgery on Wednesday, remains in critical condition, adding that “we still have hope.”
“We are doing everything we can to assist his family and to make sure that they have everything they need during this difficult time for them. We are all praying for Andrew Wolfe,” she added.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were part of the West Virginia National Guard and were serving on the DC Safe and Beautiful Mission when they were shot.
Lakanwal to be charged with murder
Following the death of Beckstrom, Pirro said Lakanwal will be charged with murder in the first degree. According to her, Beckstrom’s killing was a premeditated murder.
More charges may follow as the investigation unfolds, she said.
“This is a case that has touched the hearts of so many Americans because to be gunned down on the streets on the nation’s holiday is an outrage,” Pirro said. “The individual who did this will pay the ultimate price, according to the attorney general, Pam Bondi, as well he should.”
Pirro said that Lakanwal drove across the country to launch an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
He initially faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.
Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal?
The 29-year-old, who authorities believe acted alone, entered the US in 2021 as part of an asylum programme for Afghans who had worked with the American troops during the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan.
Lakanwal is said to have been a part of the Kandahar Strike Force, a secretive ‘zero unit’ of the CIA in Afghanistan.
