President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, a 24-year-old West Virginia National Guardsman who was shot in Washington, D.C., last week, is “fighting for his life.”
On Sunday, reporters on Air Force One asked the president whether he had spoken to Wolfe’s family and whether he could provide an update on the National Guardsman’s condition. In response, Trump confirmed that he spoke with Wolfe’s family and with the family of 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who died from her injuries after last Wednesday’s shooting.
“They’re devastated,” Trump said. “As you know, the one is no longer with us, and Andrew is fighting for his life. And his parents are unbelievably great people, highly religious people, and they’re praying, and they want everybody to pray for Andrew, and he has a chance to make it.”
“His mother and father, they were so unbelievable,” the president added. “They were so positive.”
Trump noted that Beckstrom’s family was also “devastated” and that they “can’t even believe it could happen.”
Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he has already discussed having the families of the two National Guard members visit the White House to honor the two National Guard members in the aftermath of last week’s shooting incident in Washington, D.C.
READ MORE: National Guard soldier dies from Afghan national shooting; Trump responds
“I said, ‘When you’re ready, because that’s a tough thing, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,'” Trump stated. “And likewise with Andrew, recover or not.”
The Post Millennial reported that Beckstrom and Wolfe, who were deployed in Washington, D.C., as part of the president’s crackdown on crime, were shot near the White House last week in a targeted attack.
According to Fox News, the suspected shooter responsible for the targeted attack against the two National Guard members was arrested last week and identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. The outlet noted that the 29-year-old Afghan national entered the United States legally in September of 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, which was the Afghan evacuation and resettlement program under former President Joe Biden.
Fox News reported that Lakanwal is currently facing first-degree murder charges and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. According to Fox News, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has indicated that the Justice Department is planning to push for the suspect to face the death penalty.
