The father of West Virginia National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom, one of the troops ambushed in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, said his daughter was unlikely to recover.
Gary Beckstrom told The New York Times by phone, "I'm holding her hand right now. She has a mortal wound. It's not going to be a recovery."
The Times reported that Gary Beckstrom declined to comment further.
Twenty-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe were gravely wounded in the attack. Both underwent emergency surgery and remain in critical condition.
Beckstrom volunteered to serve on that duty shift so other Guard members could be with their families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The gunman who shot and critically wounded the two soldiers is an Afghan national who entered the U.S. during former President Joe Biden's administration.
Investigators say he drove about 2,700 miles from his residence north of Seattle to the nation's capital to carry out the attack.
The gunman has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakamal, 29, who investigators said waited for the two soldiers before launching the ambush with a handgun.
Federal records show Lakamal came to the United States after the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal and had served in Kandahar alongside American forces.
President Donald Trump called the attack "a crime against our entire nation."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.