by Sharon Rondeau
(Nov. 27, 2025) — 10:55 P.M. EST – Several hours ago on a Thanksgiving Day phone call to service members, President Trump announced he had just learned West Virginia National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, one of two soldiers ambushed in Washington, DC on Wednesday by an Afghani admitted to the country in 2021, had passed away. She was 20 years old.
The second Guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains hospitalized in critical condition following surgery on Wednesday.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is also hospitalized while in custody. He entered the U.S. through the “Operation Allies Welcome” program after Biden ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops in late August 2021.
Lakanwal reportedly assisted the CIA as Afghan forces sought to defeat the Taliban, which now rules the country.
“U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Thursday that the suspect will be charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and he will also be charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence,” CBS News reported following a Thursday morning presser. As Pirro indicated, as Beckstrom has died, more serious charges will follow, a stance Attorney General Pam Bondi also took during an interview on Thursday’s “Fox & Friends.”
“My baby girl has passed to glory,” her father, Gary Beckstrom, wrote on Facebook Thursday afternoon, accompanied by several photos of her in uniform.
Wolfe’s father has asked the public to “pray for my son” and his family.