Washington, D.C. – In a swift response to the ambush-style shooting that claimed the life of one National Guard member and left another in critical condition, the Pentagon announced Tuesday that every National Guard troop deployed in the nation's capital is now armed. The directive, issued just days after the November 26 incident near the White House, marks a significant escalation in the security posture for Joint Task Force D.C., which has been at the forefront of President Donald Trump's domestic crime-fighting initiative.
"I can confirm that everybody in D.C. is now armed, and a lot of our D.C. National Guardsmen are now also doing joint patrols with members of the police department here in D.C. So their safety is, of course, top of mind," Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon. Wilson's statement came amid heightened scrutiny of the Guard's role in urban policing, a program that has drawn both praise for curbing violence and criticism for militarizing American streets.
The policy shift follows the fatal shooting of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and the wounding of U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both members of the West Virginia National Guard. The attack unfolded around 2:15 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 26, near the Farragut West Metro station at 17th and I Streets NW – just two blocks from the White House in a bustling tourist district. Beckstrom and Wolfe, who had been sworn in as temporary federal law enforcement officers less than 24 hours earlier to conduct "high-visibility patrols," were ambushed while on duty as part of Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful.
According to court documents and eyewitness accounts, the suspect approached the pair from around a corner, raised a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, and opened fire at close range, striking both in the head. Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries the following day, Thanksgiving, surrounded by family at a local hospital. "My baby girl has passed to glory," her father, Gary Beckstrom, posted on Facebook, capturing the raw grief rippling through communities in Summersville, West Virginia, where the young specialist had enlisted just two years prior in June 2023. Wolfe, a Martinsburg native who joined the Air National Guard in February 2019 and earned multiple service medals, showed signs of improvement by Monday, December 1, responding to medical commands despite remaining in serious condition.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, was subdued in a chaotic exchange of gunfire. One unarmed Guardsman reportedly stabbed Lakanwal with a pocket knife, while another – who was armed – fired multiple shots, wounding him critically. Witnesses and a police report allege Lakanwal shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the assault and while attempting to reload his weapon. He was taken into custody at the scene and hospitalized, where he appeared virtually for his arraignment on Tuesday from a hospital bed, aided by a Pashto interpreter.
Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. on September 8, 2021, under Operation Allies Welcome – a Biden-era humanitarian parole program for vulnerable Afghans – had been living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children. He applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted in April 2025, though his green card application remains pending. Prior to his arrival, Lakanwal served for a decade in an elite Afghan counterterrorism unit known as the "Zero Unit," collaborating closely with the CIA and Joint Special Operations Command in Kandahar against U.S. targets. His service ended with the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, after which he relocated under the refugee program designed to protect Afghan allies from Taliban reprisals.
Prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, formally charged Lakanwal on Tuesday with first-degree murder, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He pleaded not guilty before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond, who described the government's case as "exceedingly strong" and ordered him held without bond. Video evidence shows Lakanwal lingering on the sidewalk for about a minute before sprinting toward the intersection and firing, suggesting premeditation. Investigators believe he drove nearly 3,000 miles from Washington state to D.C. in the days leading up to the attack.
Emerging details paint a portrait of a man unraveling under personal strain. Emails reveal Lakanwal had been grappling with severe mental health issues since at least 2023, including prolonged isolation, joblessness, and erratic cross-country drives. A caseworker described him as once "proud and capable" in Afghanistan but "defeated" in America, exacerbated by an expired work permit and financial pressures. No direct ties to terrorist organizations have been publicly confirmed, though the FBI is treating the incident as a potential terrorism probe.
The shooting has intensified debates over Trump's August 2025 mobilization of National Guard units to combat urban crime and bolster immigration enforcement. Initially deploying 800 troops under Title 32 authority, the force peaked at 2,500 before stabilizing at over 2,200 as of Tuesday. President Trump, who labeled the attack a "terrorist assault on American soil," immediately ordered an additional 500 Guardsmen to D.C. on November 26, a move echoed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: "It will not stand... This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful."
Wilson emphasized the Guard's broader mandate during her briefing, underscoring deployments in high-crime areas beyond the capital. "I can tell you that our mission set is critical. We are keeping American cities safe all across this country, and we are going to remain committed to that," she said. "These missions aren't going to stop in Chicago, in Los Angeles, in DC. We understand the urgent threat that is facing many of these cities, and the National Guard is proud to step in alongside our law enforcement partners to help with that." When pressed on potential expansions to other cities, Wilson demurred: "I do not have anything to announce at this time."
The arming order addresses a vulnerability exposed by the attack: Beckstrom and Wolfe were among the few on patrol without sidearms, a decision rooted in the Guard's initial non-combatant role in crowd control and deterrence. Metropolitan Police Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the victims were armed but clarified that the rapid response – including the stabbing and shooting of Lakanwal – came from nearby Guardsmen. Joint patrols with D.C. police, now routine, aim to enhance interoperability and response times in a city where ambush attacks on law enforcement have surged 25% in 2025.
Public reaction has been polarized. Vigils for Beckstrom drew thousands to Farragut Square, where flowers and candles formed a makeshift memorial honoring her as a "volunteer warrior" in the D.C. mission. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, who revealed Beckstrom and Wolfe were friends, called the loss "devastating," while Sen. Shelley Moore Capito vowed state support for their families. President Trump invited the victims' relatives to the White House for a private honor ceremony, praising Beckstrom as "highly respected, young, magnificent."
Critics, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who deemed the shooting "targeted," have decried the deployments as escalatory. A federal judge ruled last week that the mobilization likely violated the Posse Comitatus Act, barring military involvement in domestic law enforcement, but stayed the order until December 11 pending appeal. The incident has also fueled immigration rhetoric: Trump paused all Afghan asylum processing and ordered a review of 233,000 refugees admitted since 2021, prompting accusations of scapegoating from Democrats.
As Lakanwal awaits a January preliminary hearing, the arming of D.C.'s Guardsmen signals a new era of fortified urban patrols. Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, D.C. National Guard commander, grew emotional Tuesday, reflecting on the human toll: "All their lives changed forever because one person decided to do this horrific and evil thing." With reinforcements en route and resolve hardened, Joint Task Force D.C. presses on, a stark reminder that the front lines of America's safety now extend to its own streets.
