Sarah Beckstrom’s ex boyfriend has this to say about slain National Guard member; was serving to pay to college

Sarah Beckstrom, the 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard specialist killed in a targeted shooting near the White House, embraced her deployment to Washington, DC, despite initial nerves about leaving her rural hometown, according to her ex-boyfriend Adam Carr in a Washington Post interview.

Joining the Guard shortly after high school graduation to fund college and pursue a criminal justice career with the FBI, Beckstrom volunteered for a second tour in the capital under President Trump's August 2025 order to combat local crime.

She came to see the mission as vital, believing it addressed high DC crime rates.

From rural roots to capital duty

Beckstrom graduated with honors from Webster County High School in Summersville, West Virginia, where she excelled in softball, health sciences, and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).

Enlisting in June 2023, in the 863rd Military Police Company of the 111th Engineer Brigade, she worked at Seneca Health Services aiding those with addiction and mental health issues, reflecting her bighearted nature.

Carr described her as protective of her sister, a dependable employee at a local custard stand, and an avid homebody who made her own butter, canned peppers, and cherished hunting with family heirlooms like her grandfather's fishing lure.

Challenges and conviction on patrol

Initially anxious about urban life far from her small-town surroundings, Beckstrom quickly warmed to DC, snapping photos of landmarks like the Washington Monument and sharing them widely.

Carr noted the times she was frustrated by Guard restrictions, ”They had the Guard on a leash,” he said. “They had to call the law themselves when someone spat on them. She saw that as pointless. She would tell me, ‘If we ain’t allowed to do anything, why are we here?,” she vented to Carr, as residents spat, cursed, or threw objects without consequence, forcing calls to police instead of detentions. But she stayed committed, volunteering over Thanksgiving.

On November 26, 2025, near Farragut West Metro Station, she and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were ambushed at close range by suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal; Beckstrom succumbed to chest and head wounds the next evening, with Wolfe remaining in critical condition.

The couple, dating from age 14 through high school and moving to Summersville together, broke up a month ago but remained friends; "Small-town life didn’t really fit her once she got the taste of something else... The more time she spent there, the more she embraced it," Carr explained

President Trump praised Beckstrom as an "incredible person, outstanding in every single way" during a Mar-a-Lago call, while West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) declared a statewide moment of silence, honoring her voluntary service.

Vigils drew crowds in Webster Springs and at her high school, where peers and mentors lauded her strength and motivation; school posts highlighted her as embodying Highlander pride.

Neighbors of Wolfe in Martinsburg expressed shock, emphasizing community vigilance and hoping he felt his duty mattered amid debates over Guard presence.

FAQs

Why did Beckstrom join the National Guard?
To fund college debt-free and gain experience toward an FBI career in criminal justice, per her ex-boyfriend.

What frustrations did she face in DC?
Hostile residents spitting or wishing harm, plus rules limiting arrests of assailants, making her question the deployment's effectiveness.