What we know about the White House-area shooting after one troop dies

One National Guard member has died after a shooting in Washington DC, just a short distance from the White House, in what officials described as a Thanksgiving Eve "ambush."

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from the injuries she sustained in the shooting, and her fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, was "fighting for his life," Donald Trump said. Authorities are treating the incident as a terrorism investigation following the attack on Wednesday (26 November).

According to authorities, a lone gunman opened fire on Wednesday afternoon. Other Guard members stationed nearby heard the shots and quickly intervened, ultimately subduing the attacker.

Here's everything we know:

What happened?

Two members of the West Virginia National Guard were patrolling near the corner of 17th and I streets around 2.15pm ET.

The suspected shooter came around a corner and "ambushed" them, according to a press briefing from Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll.

After an exchange of gunfire, other National Guard troops subdued the shooter, he said.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called it a "targeted shooting".

Beckstrom, who was enlisted on 26 June 2023 and was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, has passed away from the injuries. Wolfe remains in the hospital in critical condition.

Getty Images

What has Donald Trump said?

Trump confirmed Beckstrom's death while on a Thanksgiving call with US service members.

"Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we're talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person... She's just passed away. She's no longer with us," he shared.

Trump, who was in Florida at the time of the incident, held a live address on Wednesday where he called it "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror."

"It was a crime against our entire nation; it was a crime against humanity," he continued.

He also shared a post on X/Twitter at the time, writing: "The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price.

"God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement."

Who is suspected shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal?

The suspected shooter has been identified as 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal. The Department of Homeland Security has since taken Lakanwal into custody.

Lakanwal resided in Washington State, with no known criminal history.

Officials say the alleged shooter appeared to have acted alone.

He reportedly entered the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, resettling thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the Afghanistan war, a Biden-era programme.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency announced an immediate and indefinite halt to the "processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals" pending a review of security and vetting protocols.

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