WASHINGTON, Nov 28 — US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that one of the two National Guard soldiers shot near the White House on Wednesday has died, while the other remains in critical condition, Bernama-Xinhua reported.
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, from West Virginia, succumbed to her injuries, while fellow guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, continues to receive treatment.
The attack occurred around 2.15pm local time near the Farragut Square Metro Station, according to Joint Task Force DC, which oversees National Guard deployments in Washington.
The alleged gunman, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who had previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan, was shot by another service member and is now in custody.
He reportedly drove across the country from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to carry out the attack, AFP reported.
Trump called the shooting an “act of terror” in a video statement and said he had been informed of Beckstrom’s death just moments before addressing the media.
He described the incident as a catalyst for his administration’s latest immigration measures, ordering a halt to processing applications from Afghan nationals and directing a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of green card holders from 19 countries, including Afghanistan.
Joseph Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said the review aims to ensure that anyone who “does not belong here or add benefit to our country” is identified for removal.
The attack, which has left the nation grappling with both grief and security concerns, brings together several politically sensitive issues: the presence of the military in US cities, immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan.
Trump orders review of immigrant visas after National Guard attack leaves one soldier dead
