“I would like to express the pain and horror of our entire nation regarding yesterday's terrorist attack in our nation's capital, in which a savage monster shot two members of the West Virginia National Guard who were participating in a mission as part of the Washington Task Force,” Trump said.
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Who died as a result of shots fired near the White House?
What is the information about the second soldier shot?
Who was Sarah Beckstrom?
Who is suspected of attacking soldiers?
— Millions of Americans are praying for these heroes and their families. Unfortunately, I must tell you that just seconds before I arrived, I heard that Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen we are talking about, an extremely respected, young, wonderful person who entered the service in June 2023, distinguished in every way, had just passed away. She is no longer with us. He looks down on us, said the president.
The second guard is fighting for his life
He reported that the second guardsman who was shot was fighting for his life. — It's in very bad condition. He's fighting for his life. And hopefully we will get better news on his case, he added in a conversation with members of the US armed forces on Thanksgiving Day. “The monster that did this is also in serious condition, but we won't even mention it,” he said.
The president also declared that “there is no greater national security priority than ensuring full control over the people who enter and remain in the country.” — Most of the time we don't want them. They come illegally. They have lots of problems. Their countries force them (to leave) because they are smart. They don't want them. Let's give them to the Americans to take care of them. They are released from prisons, in many cases from psychiatric institutions, as gang members and drug dealers. We don't want them,” said Trump, who is spending Thanksgiving in Florida.
Shots fired near the White House
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot on Wednesday near the White House in Washington. Guardsmen were sent to the capital from West Virginia as part of Trump's crackdown on crime. About 2.2 thousand Guardsmen from various states were sent by Trump to Washington. On Wednesday, the leader announced the dispatch of another 500 soldiers to the city.
According to the services, the person suspected of attacking the soldiers is 29-year-old Afghan Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who came to the United States in 2021 as part of the Allies Welcome program for collaborators of the American army in Afghanistan. CNN, citing sources, reported that the alleged perpetrator applied for asylum in 2024 and received it at the beginning of this year.
