US: One National Guard member shot by Afghan national dead, confirms President Trump

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that one of the 2 National Guard members shot by an Afghan national in Washington DC has died. The shooting took place just blocks away from the White House. The President referred to the shooter as a "savage monster". The suspect reportedly worked as a CIA agent in his native country.

During his Thanksgiving call to US troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.” Talking about the woman officer, the President said, "She just passed away. She's no longer with us. She's looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her."

Also Read

What it takes to guard Russian President Putin? And it’s ‘nothing like military service’

Explained: As search renews, how missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370 became a global aviation mystery?

Indian national jailed in US for $1.7 million fraud: Who is he and what are the charges?

He described Beckstrom as "an incredible person, outstanding in every way." During the announcement the President himself described the shooting as a "terrorist act." He also criticised the Biden administration for letting Afghans enter the country, after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover. In 2021 hundreds of Afghan nationals were brought to the US under Operation Allies Welcome and resettled in the country.

Trump suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable. Describing the Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, he said, "He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts. It happens too often with these people."

Lakanwal was once working with US troops in Afghanistan. So far the motive for the shooting is not clear. The shooter, who was also injured in the attack, is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, " Lakanwal launched an 'ambush-style' attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence."

The second National Guard member injured in the shooting, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 continues to remain in a critical condition.