Who is Sarah Beckstrom? 20-year-old National guard member dies after shooting in Washington DC

Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old member of the National Guard, died, succumbing to her injuries, after a shooting in Washington, DC, a tragedy that has shaken the entire nation on Wednesday. US Army Specialist Beckstrom, one of the two members of the National Guard who were shot, has passed away, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday. The two had been formally sworn in only a day earlier, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said, reported New York Post.

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"Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we're talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person. She's just passed away. She's no longer with us," Trump said in his first live comments following the shooting.



Beckstrom, a West Virginia National Guard member, had been in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds to the chest and head during an ambush while she was on duty in Washington, DC. Both National Guard members were shot at close range near Farragut Square in downtown DC shortly after 2 PM ET on Wednesday. Police have taken a suspect into custody: 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. The second Guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains hospitalized and 'is fighting for his life'.

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Beckstrom’s father told The New York Times earlier in the day that doctors did not expect his daughter to survive. “I’m holding her hand right now,” Gary Beckstrom said. “She has a mortal wound. There’s not going to be a recovery.”

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey announced Beckstrom’s death via a social media post.

“Sarah served with courage, extraordinary resolve, and an unwavering sense of duty to her state and to her nation. She answered the call to serve, stepped forward willingly, and carried out her mission with the strength and character that define the very best of the West Virginia National Guard.”

WHO IS SARAH BECKSTROM?

Beckstrom, from Webster Springs, West Virginia, enlisted on June 26, 2023 and served with the 863rd Military Police Company under the 111th Engineer Brigade of the West Virginia Army National Guard.

Beckstrom had chosen to take an assignment in the nation’s capital over the Thanksgiving holiday, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News following the shooting.

More than 2,000 troops have been stationed in the nation’s capital since August, after the president began sending forces to cities to address what he described as rising crime.

The West Virginia National Guard told BBC News that Beckstrom and Wolfe were among those deployed at that time.