Two National Guard members who were shot in Washington DC have been identified. The victims, Sarah Backstrom, aged 20, and Andrew Wolfe, aged 24, were named during a press briefing on Thursday. Both soldiers from West Virginia were critically injured, according to US Attorney Jeanine Pirro. They had recently taken up duty under President Donald Trump’s security directive for the district, being sworn in less than a day before the incident.
The suspect in the shooting has been identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, as confirmed by law enforcement. The attack took place around 2:15 pm ET on Wednesday. Lakanwal, an Afghan national, entered the US in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a program initiated by the Biden administration to safeguard vulnerable Afghans post the US military’s exit from Afghanistan.
Following the assault, President Trump condemned the act as terrorism and a severe assault. Additionally, US Citizenship and Immigration Services ceased processing immigration cases for Afghan immigrants indefinitely pending further review.
Lakanwal drove from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington DC and opened fire on the National Guard using a .357 revolver, as stated by Pirro. He was subsequently shot and is currently hospitalized. Charges against him will include three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a violent crime.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned that both victims underwent surgery. Bondi expressed that charges against the suspect would be determined based on the victims’ recovery prospects. Sarah Backstrom was described by Bondi as a young volunteer serving in the capital over the Thanksgiving holiday.
An official from Musselman High School confirmed Wolfe as one of the injured National Guardsmen. Wolfe, an alumnus of the school, is in critical condition and undergoing surgery. The school community expressed deep sadness and requested thoughts for his recovery.
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