Washington DC, December 2 — The White House said the person responsible for the fatal shooting of a National Guard member near the White House will be prosecuted and face “the most severe punishment.”
An Afghan national shot two National Guard members on Wednesday near the White House, killing Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and seriously wounding Andrew Wolfe.
“Sarah and Andrew are heroes, and we will never forget their sacrifice,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a Monday press briefing. “That means ensuring the monster responsible for this atrocity is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and faces the most severe punishment possible.”
Leavitt also criticized the prior Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation from Afghanistan, saying nearly 100,000 Afghan evacuees were admitted to the United States with “little to no vetting.” The accused, identified as Lakanwal, 29, arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Calling the withdrawal “botched” and “one of the most embarrassing moments” in U.S. history, Leavitt said its repercussions continue to affect the country and service members. “Joe Biden’s historic failure in Afghanistan continues to haunt this country and our men and women in uniform,” she added.
Former President Donald Trump said Wolfe “is fighting for his life” and said he plans to honor both Guard members at the White House. Trump also blamed the Biden administration, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Vice President Kamala Harris for immigration policies he described as allowing “unchecked and unvetted” admissions; on Truth Social he wrote that the administration had let “anyone and everyone come in totally unchecked and unvetted.”
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the shooting and the circumstances of the suspect’s arrival in the United States.
