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The father of the National Guarswoman critically injured during a shooting in Washington, D.C., said his daughter is not expected to survive.
“She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery,” said Gary Beckstrom, the father of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, via the New York Times.
“I’m holding her hand right now,” he added.
Sarah, 20, was reportedly shot in the head and chest during an incident that took place nearby the White House on Wednesday (November 26) afternoon. Officials also identified the second victim in critical condition as 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, who was also deployed to Washington, D.C., and serving on patrol prior to the shooting.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, was identified as the shooter, officials and a relative confirmed via NBC News. Lakanwal was also shot during the incident and is also hospitalized, according to authorities.
The incident is believed to be a targeted shooting. A relative said that Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021, having previously served 10 years in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces troops, which included being stationed at a base in Kandahar.
“We were the ones that were targeted by the Taliban in Afghanistan,” the relative said, specifying that he and Lakanwal were supporting U.S. troops.
“I cannot believe it that he might do this,” he added.
Lakanwal came to the U.S. five months after former President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which resulted in the Taliban reclaiming power in the country. Lakanwal, who grew up in the Khost province, was reportedly living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children prior to the shooting and worked for Amazon and Amazon Flex when the relative had last spoken to him several months prior.
“I don’t know what happened,” the relative told NBC News. “I need your help to know why this happened.”