Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition as Trump orders more troops to D.C.
By Matthew Young, RealWV
WASHINGTON, DC. – SSgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, of the WV National Guard remains in critical condition in a Washington, D.C.-area hospital, after last week’s deadly shooting that claimed the life of 20-year-old Spc. Sarah Beckstrom.
On Wednesday, both Beckstrom and Wolfe were shot during what authorities called an “ambush style attack,” on the corner of 17th and H Streets in Washington, D.C. Beckstrom and Wolfe are two of the 160 volunteer WV National Guard members currently deployed in the nation’s capital, and both were critically wounded during the incident. Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thursday.
The shooter, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanuallah Lakanwal, was quickly apprehended after also being injured during the exchange of gunfire. Lakanwal is alleged to have travelled from his home in Washington state to carry out the attack. No update has been provided regarding his condition.
Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 as part of the “Operation Allies Welcome” program. Initiated by former President Joe Biden, the program was the final phase of the February, 2020 withdrawal-agreement President Donald Trump reached with the Taliban. Through Trump’s withdrawal agreement and Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome” program, some 70,000 “vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside (the United States) for the past two decades” were admitted into the United States.
As stated on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) website, “The rigorous screening and vetting process, which is multi-layered and ongoing, involves biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from DHS and DOD, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional intelligence community partners. This process includes reviewing fingerprints, photos, and other biometric and biographic data for every single Afghan before they are cleared to travel to the United States. As with other arrivals at U.S. ports of entry, Afghan nationals undergo a primary inspection when they arrive at a U.S. airport, and a secondary inspection is conducted as the circumstances require.”
In addition to the vetting by Biden’s DHS, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel each confirmed that Lakanwal worked in partnership with United States forces during joint operations in Afghanistan. And while no information has been released regarding the motive behind Lakanwal’s attack, during a Sunday interview with ABCNews, Trump’s current DHS Director Kristi Noem said that the former American ally “might have been radicalized after he arrived in the United States.”
In August, Trump deployed approximately 2,000 National Guard-members from Republican-led states to Washington, D.C, including some 350 from West Virginia, to combat what he called a “crime emergency.” Each of those states are home to cities with higher crime rates than those reported to exist in D.C. However, although data from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department showed crime in the nation’s capital to be at its lowest recorded-level since 1995, allegations of falsifying records and under-reporting violent crime persist. While a slight increase in arrests has been recorded during the deployment-period, guard members have reportedly been utilized primarily for beautification projects in tourist areas of the city.
In response to Trump’s National Guard deployment, on August 15, WV Gov. Patrick Morrisey stated that, “West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital.”
Over the two weeks prior to last week’s shooting, conflicting court rulings were issued regarding the deployment of West Virginia’s National Guard into Washington, D.C. On November 10, Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Judge Richard Lindsay ruled that West Virginia law granted Morrisey the authority to send guard members to the nation’s capital, while a November 20 ruling by D.C.’s United States District Judge Kia Cobb determined that Trump’s multi-state guard deployment was illegal without the approval of D.C. officials, which the president does not have. On November 18, Morrisey’s ordered deployment of “300 – 400 skilled” members of the WV National Guard was rescinded, although 160 members were permitted to remain on a “voluntary” basis.
Last week’s shooting, which has now been deemed an act of terror by the FBI, was unrelated to Trump’s initial declaration of a “crime emergency.” Shortly after the incident, via social media, Morrisey falsely stated that both guard members had died as a result of their injuries. Those claims were then reported by state and national media, citing Morrisey as the confirming-source. Some 30 minutes later – again via social media – Morrisey recanted his claims, stating, “We are now receiving conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members and will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information.” Beckstrom would ultimately succumb to her injuries Thursday evening.
On the evening of the shooting, Trump – also via social media – announced his plans to deploy an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., bringing the total U.S. troop-presence in the nation’s capital to over 3,000. While Army officials stated that they will work to follow the president’s direction, no timeframe has yet been released regarding the arrival of additional forces.
RealWV will provide continuing updates regarding Wolfe’s condition, and the status of West Virginia National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., as additional information is made available.
