A member of the West Virginia National Guard who was shot last week in a brazen daytime attack in Washington, D.C., remains in serious condition but showed positive signs by giving a thumbs up, hearing a nurse’s question and wiggling his toes, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday.
Morrisey said the family of 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe asked the public to pray for him. Another member of the West Virginia National Guard, US Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in the shooting.
“Andrew is still fighting for his life,” Morrisey said. “Andrew needs prayers.
Morrisey said he could not yet release details of any funeral arrangements for Beckstrom and wanted to respect her family’s wishes.
Shooting at the White House
Beckstrom and Wolfe were shot and killed Wednesday just blocks from the White House as they were deployed as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting plan to federalize D.C. police.
Investigators are working to determine a motive. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault by shooting.
Authorities said Lakanwal, who was shot during the confrontation, remained hospitalized and a court hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The Trump administration has halted Afghan visa and asylum decisions
The shooting prompted the Trump administration to freeze all asylum decisions and suspend visas for people traveling on Afghan passports.
After the shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump had asked him to send an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington. Morrisey said he has not been asked to deploy additional troops from West Virginia.
According to the latest government update, nearly 2,200 troops are currently assigned to the joint task force operating in the city. More than 300 members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed in August. By mid-November, as many as 170 of them volunteered to extend their deployment through the end of the year, while the rest returned to West Virginia.
“Our only focus is on the welfare of the 170 service members who are on the ground, focusing on the family and making sure the prayers go out,” Morrisey said.
