National Guardsman is ‘hanging on’ following deadly DC ambush shooting as family asks for prayer
The West Virginia National Guardsman who was shot this week in Washington, DC, remains in critical condition, a congressman explained on “FOX & Friends Weekend,” saying the guard is “hanging on” and that his family is asking people to keep praying for him.
Rep. Riley Moore (R‑WV) told the show Saturday that the family of 24‑year‑old Andrew Wolfe is “committed to service.” “His father is a deputy sheriff in the county next to mine and Andy wanted to follow in that footsteps and serve his nation as a National Guardsman,” Moore said. “Andy is hanging on. And he is a fighter and his family has told me that time and time again, he is a fighter.” He added, “But above all what they want here is for everybody to continue to pray. I believe in the power of prayer and I can promise you his parents believe in the power of prayer… Please keep praying.”
Four days earlier, 20‑year‑old Sarah Beckstrom, also a West Virginia National Guard member, was shot and died during the same incident. The suspect, 29‑year‑old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, faces multiple charges, including first‑degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty against him.
Both Wolfe and Beckstrom were part of a West Virginia guard contingent sent to the capital to help curb crime after President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier in the year. Lakanwal entered the United States shortly after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, arriving under “Operation Allies Welcome.” “The president is taking the correct step by re‑vetting these individuals. But in my view, he should have never been here. He should have never been in this country to begin with,” Moore said on Saturday. He also noted, “We had over 80,000 Afghan nationals piled into the United States, we don’t know these people. We don’t know who they are.”
A makeshift memorial of flowers and American flags was set up outside the Farragut West Metro station in Washington on November 28. Community members in Webster Springs, West Virginia, gathered for a vigil on Friday night to honor Beckstrom and Wolfe.
These events have sparked widespread calls for a review of immigration and security policies, with critics arguing that the failed policy of resettling Afghan refugees has cost them precious lives.
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