DC National Guard shooting: What we know about the victims and the suspect

One United States National Guard member, Sarah Beckstrom, has died, and another remains in a critical condition after a shooting in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, which has triggered a large-scale federal investigation.

Authorities have identified and arrested one suspect, named as Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

President Donald Trump said he will “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World countries” in order to allow the US system to fully recover.

He also stated that he will end all federal benefits and subsidies to “noncitizens”, adding that he plans to “denaturalise migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilisation”.

Here is what we know about the shooting, the attacker, and what’s next:

What happened in Washington, DC?

Police say a lone suspect opened fire on a National Guard member at about 2:15pm local time (19:15 GMT) on Wednesday.

The suspect, who was also shot during the confrontation, was taken to hospital for treatment and remains under police custody.

“It appears to be a lone gunman who raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Jeffery Carroll, executive assistant chief, told reporters.

According to a CNN report, the suspect walked up to three National Guard members who appeared unaware of him until he opened fire. He shot one guard, then another, before standing over the first victim and appearing to attempt another shot. At that point, the third guard returned fire.

Trump was in Florida at the time of the incident.

Approximately 2,200 National Guard members have been deployed across the US capital, including 925 from the DC National Guard and more than 1,200 from other states.

What is the National Guard?

The National Guard is a reserve branch of the US military that can be called up during emergencies at home, such as natural disasters or civil unrest, and can also support missions overseas.

It consists of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard and has about 431,000 members, making it the second-largest military force in the country.

Each US state and territory, as well as Washington, DC, has its own National Guard units. These units answer both to state leaders and the federal government. This differs from the regular US military, whose active-duty members serve full-time under federal command.

Two soldiers wounded on Wednesday were members of West Virginia’s National Guard, Governor Patrick Morrisey said.

Last week, a federal judge ordered a temporary halt to Trump’s deployment of National Guard members to Washington, DC, ruling that the move was likely unlawful. Following the shooting, the Trump administration sought to have that decision overturned.

Where did the shooting take place?

The shooting took place in Farragut Square – a tourist-heavy area located near a busy transit centre and the White House.

Designed by Pierre L’Enfant in 1791, Farragut Square is a key spot in downtown Washington, DC.

The area, where lampposts are wrapped in wreaths and bows for the holiday season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a coffee shop, as well as two stops on the Washington metro system.

What do we know about the victims?

The victims have been identified as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe.

President Trump described Beckstrom as a “highly respected, young, magnificent person”.

He said Wolfe remains in a critical condition, adding, “He’s in very bad shape,” during a video call with troops.

Beckstrom, from Webster Springs, West Virginia, entered service on June 26, 2023. She was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company under the 111th Engineer Brigade of the West Virginia Army National Guard.

Wolfe, from Martinsburg, West Virginia, began his service on February 5, 2019. He served with the Force Support Squadron of the 167th Airlift Wing in the West Virginia Air National Guard.

Both were deployed to Washington in August.

Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal?

Investigators have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

Authorities say he arrived in the US from Afghanistan in September 2021 via Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration programme to resettle Afghans after the Taliban takeover.

According to CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Lakanwal previously worked with the agency in Afghanistan. The New York Times reported he was part of the CIA’s Zero Units – Afghan paramilitary groups often deployed alongside CIA officers in some of the war’s most intense operations. During the US withdrawal, they played a central role in securing Kabul’s airport.

US Attorney for Washington, DC, Jeanine Pirro said Lakanwal drove across the country before ambushing the National Guard members. He was armed with a .357 Magnum revolver.

Lakanwal had been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127 kilometres) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, according to his former landlord, Kristina Widman.

Lakanwal applied formally for asylum in December 2024, and his application was approved on April 23 – three months after Trump assumed office.

On Thursday, he was charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Pirro said he would also face a first-degree murder charge if either of the two critically injured guardsmen did not survive. Whether this will now happen has yet to be confirmed.

What is Operation Allies Welcome?

Operation Allies Welcome was a US programme started in 2021 to help Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban took control. Many of these Afghans had worked with US troops as interpreters, drivers or support staff and feared they could be targeted. Others, such as journalists and women’s rights activists, were also at risk.

Under the programme, tens of thousands of Afghans were transported to US military bases, where they underwent medical checks, received vaccinations and completed immigration processing. They also underwent security screening before being relocated to communities across the country.

According to the Congressional Research Service, about 76,000 Afghans entered the US through the initiative, which lasted roughly a year. The programme later faced criticism from some Republicans who argued the vetting process was insufficient.

What’s next?

Following the attack, Trump announced that his administration would expand deportation efforts and review the cases of Afghans who arrived in the United States after the Taliban’s return to power.

On Wednesday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it had halted processing for all Afghan immigration applications “pending further review of security and vetting protocols”.

A day later, Trump declared on Truth Social: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries.” He did not define “Third World,” a term commonly used to describe developing nations in the Global South.

Trump also stated that he would “remove anyone who is not a net asset to the US, or is incapable of loving our Country”.

In a separate announcement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said an additional 500 National Guard members, drawn from a state yet to be identified, would be deployed to Washington, DC, to strengthen security and reassure residents.

Earlier on Thursday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said that, “at the direction” of President Trump, he had ordered “a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern”.