National Guard member 'slowly healing' after DC shooting
- - National Guard member 'slowly healing' after DC shooting
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY December 8, 2025 at 12:15 AM
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The West Virginia National Guard member who was critically wounded in a Washington, D.C., shooting that left another soldier dead is "slowly healing," his family and state Gov. Patrick Morrisey said over the weekend.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is "fighting for his life" after he was shot in an ambush by an Afghan national near the White House on Nov. 26, according to authorities. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who was also a member of the West Virginia National Guard, died from her injuries the following day.
In a statement quoting Wolfe's parents on Dec. 5, Morrisey said Wolfe's head wound was "slowly healing" and that he’s beginning to look "more like himself." According to the governor, Wolfe’s family expects he will be in acute care for another two to three weeks, but has been "optimistic about his progress."
1 / 11See tributes for National Guard troops targeted in shootingPeople bring flowers for a makeshift memorial set up after two National Guard members were shot, near the White House, in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 28, 2025.
Morrisey asked all West Virginians and Americans to continue praying for Wolfe’s recovery. He added that he planned to attend a vigil held at Wolfe's alma mater, Musselman High School, in Berkeley County, West Virginia, on Dec. 5.
The shooting brought grief across West Virginia as communities held vigils in honor of Beckstrom and Wolfe in the days after the attack. The incident also led to an escalation of the Trump administration's immigration and crime crackdown, including a pause on immigration applications from 19 countries that were considered "high-risk" and additional deployments of troops.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, who was shot moments after the attack, has been charged with first-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty. The federal government’s investigation of the shooting is ongoing.
The West Virginia National Guard members were deployed to the nation’s capital as part of President Donald Trump's effort to fight crime. About 170 National Guard members from West Virginia remain deployed to D.C., and federal officials said an additional 500 troops would be sent to the district following the attack.
'Coming along well, surpassing expectations'
Wolfe's mother, Melody Wolfe, along with the West Virginia National Guard's adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, and his wife Leslie gave an update on the soldier's physiological progress on Dec. 6.
In a video statement shared on social media, Seward said Wolfe was making "remarkable improvements thanks to your prayers and the amazing medical care that he's getting." Wolfe's mother added that her son was becoming more alert and active.
"Sedation has come off. They're scaling back on his pain medication," his mother said in the video that was posted on the West Virginia National Guard's Instagram page. "He's coming along well, surpassing expectations."
Both Seward and Wolfe's mother asked people to continue praying for him, the Beckstrom family and the National Guard members who were deployed across the country and the world.
Graphics: Trump sent National Guard to DC to fight crime. Then two were shot
Both National Guard members suffered gunshot wounds to the head
New details released about the shooting last week revealed that both Wolfe and Beckstrom suffered gunshot wounds to the head, USA TODAY reported.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were on patrol near the intersection of 17th and I Streets in northwest Washington, "in full uniform" when shots rang out, according to an eight-page complaint filed by Metropolitan Police Department Detective Joshua Branson.
A photo taken from video surveillance at the scene of the shooting showed the suspect bending down next to Beckstrom and Wolfe after allegedly shooting them with a revolver, the charging document states.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were found "unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds to the head," before being transported to hospitals in critical condition, according to the complaint. Beckstrom was pronounced dead at the hospital on Nov. 27.
An autopsy confirmed Beckstrom died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, and her manner of death was ruled a homicide.
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Who is Andrew Wolfe?
Wolfe is from Martinsburg, a city of about 18,000 in West Virginia's eastern panhandle. He entered service in February 2019 and was assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167 Airlift Wing, according to a news release from the West Virginia National Guard.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Berkeley County Schools confirmed that Wolfe had attended Musselman High School and graduated in 2019. The school is located in Inwood, West Virginia.
"During his time at Musselman High, he was an active, engaged, and high-achieving student who embodied the Applemen spirit, contributing positively to our school community both academically and athletically," Musselman High School Principal Alicia Riggleman said in the statement.
The school has asked members of its community to keep West Virginia Guard members in their thoughts.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: West Virginia National Guard member 'slowly healing' after DC attack
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