WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump, speaking during a Thanksgiving Day phone call with U.S. troops, revealed the heartbreaking news that National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Summersville, West Virginia, had died from injuries sustained in an unprovoked ambush near the White House on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. The attack, which occurred around 2:15 p.m. near the Farragut West Metro station, just blocks from the White House, also left a second Guardsman, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, fighting for his life in critical condition.
The President’s Emotional Announcement
Trump opened the call by sharing the news he had received just moments before, expressing the nation’s “heartache and horror” at the incident, which he immediately labeled a “terrorist attack.” He described Beckstrom, who joined the military in June 2023 and was part of a D.C. security task force, as “a terrific person, outstanding in every way,” adding emotionally that she “just passed away” and “is looking down on us right now,” with her parents at her side. He offered hope for Sergeant Wolfe, noting he is in “very bad shape” and “fighting for his life.”
Ambush Near the White House
The two West Virginia National Guard soldiers, who had been sworn in less than 24 hours earlier as part of the capital’s security task force, were ambushed without warning. The suspect, armed with a .357 Smith & Wesson handgun, shot one Guardsman first, then continued firing multiple shots at the second. Quick-thinking soldiers nearby immediately tackled and subdued the attacker, with one shooting him dead.
Suspect’s Background Sparks National Security Debate
Trump identified the attacker as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national whom he called a “savage monster.” Lakanwal, who entered the country legally in 2021 under a humanitarian program, had previously worked for the CIA’s elite “Zero Units” in Afghanistan. President Trump quickly used the incident to criticize the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan by the Biden administration, displaying images of packed planes and calling the evacuation “total chaos” that failed to properly vet those brought into the country.
Terrorism Probe Launched
Federal authorities are treating the attack with the utmost seriousness. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the agency is investigating the incident as a possible act of international terrorism. Investigators executed a search warrant at Lakanwal’s home in Bellingham, Washington, seizing electronic devices as part of a sprawling, nationwide probe to uncover his motive and international connections. Officials, including U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, praised the immense bravery of the volunteer soldiers, while Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged the Justice Department would pursue the death penalty for Lakanwal, who remains hospitalized under heavy guard. The tragedy has instantly reignited a contentious national debate over immigration policy and the safety of the capital.