Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Nov 28: Tension gripped the US capital on Thanksgiving Day after President Donald Trump announced the death of Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard members shot in what officials have described as a “targeted ambush” just two blocks from the White House.

Speaking from Palm Beach, Florida, during a Thanksgiving call to service members, President Trump said, “Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia… highly respected, young, magnificent person… She’s just passed away. She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.” Beckstrom had joined the National Guard in June 2023 and was widely regarded as an exemplary soldier.

The second Guardsman, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition. The president said Wolfe is “fighting for his life” and is in “very bad shape.”

Officials said the troops were on a high-visibility patrol near the White House when gunfire erupted. The suspected shooter has been identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national residing in Washington state.

The incident has raised serious concerns over security near one of the most protected zones in the country, even as investigations continue into what authorities believe was a deliberate attack on uniformed personnel.