by Victoria Miele ’28 on December 11, 2025
News
Two National Guardsmen were shot on Nov. 26, just before Thanksgiving, in Washington, D.C. One, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition; the other, Sarah Beckstrom, died on Nov. 28 at just 20 years old.
Recently, President Donald Trump has deployed members of the National Guard to different cities throughout the United States in an attempt to quell violence. The National Guard consists mostly of state-based troops, and their purpose is generally to help with major issues such as natural disasters and to provide extra law enforcement when necessary. However, the National Guard has limited power to actually make arrests, searches, or seizures. As a result of the Posse Comitatus Act, there are limits to the ways the federal government can use military force when it comes to domestic matters.
Although typically deployed as individual states see fit, the troops work under the Department of War and can be federalized, meaning the president can take control of them for national defense purposes. Due to violence and crime within the United States, many troops of the National Guard have been recently federalized and sent to various states.
The two West Virginia National Guard members deployed to the nation’s capital were shot in what D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called a targeted attack.
There has been major disagreement between policymakers and enforcers about how necessary the troops really were nationwide. Trump’s administration has declared that crime in America has gotten out of control, despite many state legislatures disagreeing.
The suspected shooter is a 29 year old male, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, originally from Afghanistan, who came to the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome. This was an initiative put in place by the Biden administration to help evacuate and resettle Afghans after the United States withdrew from their country. The program brought 76,000 people to America who worked with U.S. troops and diplomats. Advocates of the program say it was incredibly beneficial for saving the lives of many who would have been at risk of Taliban retaliation. However, the initiative has received significant backlash from the current administration.
Since Nov. 26, Lakanwal has been charged with murder for the death of Beekstrom. Lakanwal suffered gunshot wounds after shooting the guardsmen, and he appeared in front of a judge remotely from his hospital bed. Lakanwal was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with the intent to kill, as well as one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
President Trump has cited the incident as an example of the excess of violence in the United States. He also criticized Biden’s initiative of Operation Allies Welcome, as well as the previous administration’s other initiatives, which welcomed immigrants like Lakanwal.