Members of the D.C. National Guard line the street in Washington, D.C., as the body of Spc. Sarah Beckstrom is transported from MedStar Washington Hospital to the local medical examiner’s office. (Photo Courtesy/District of Columbia National Guard)

CHARLESTON – With one member of the West Virginia National Guard dead and another in critical condition following a shooting the day before Thanksgiving, Gov. Patrick Morrisey called for a moment of prayer for the surviving Guard member and the families of both.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito called for the maximum federal penalty for the suspected shooter, an Afghan national recently granted asylum in the U.S., which could mean the death penalty if convicted.

Morrisey issued an official proclamation Friday morning ordering all U.S. and West Virginia flags be lowered to half-staff through the end of the year in honor of Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Summersville, who died Thursday from her gunshot wounds, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, of Martinsburg, who remains in critical condition following his gunshot wounds.

Morrisey also asked West Virginians to observe a statewide moment of prayer beginning at 2:15 p.m. Friday afternoon.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” Morrisey said. “Their courage and commitment to duty represent the very best of our state. I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Spc. Sarah Beckstrom (Photo Provided/West Virginia National Guard)

Both Beckstrom and Wolfe were part of a 160-strong contingent of West Virginia National Guard members volunteering to remain in Washington, D.C., through the end of the year. Beckstrom was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade. Wolfe was assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing.

Beckstrom and Wolfe had been stationed in Washington since August, after Morrisey sent approximately 400 West Virginia National Guard members to the nation’s capital at the request of President Donald Trump as part of Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful. Trump had called up the D.C. National Guard and requested Guard units from other states to help combat crime.

“Their basic assignment was to be a presence in D.C. to help D.C. become a safer city, and it was working,” said Capito, R-W.Va., during a Friday morning phone call with West Virginia reporters. “I saw (Guardsmen) in Washington … quite frequently, and I would stop and talk. They were helping people, giving people the assurance that they could stay (in D.C.).”

Federal law enforcement officials identified Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, as the alleged shooter and described the event as an “ambush.” Beckstrom and Wolfe’s shooting took place Wednesday afternoon at the Farragut Square Metro Station, two blocks away from the White House. Lakanwal – who drove to D.C. from his home in the state of Washington – was reportedly shot and taken into custody by nearby Guard members and local law enforcement.

“It’s just stunning to me that he could get into a car … with this in mind, with this hatred in mind,” Capito said. “He was just toxic, and it was such … an ambush rather than a random attack. It was a targeted attack, and it’s inexplicable to me.”

According to officials, Lakanwal came into the U.S. in 2021 during former President Joe Biden’s term following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, having worked with the CIA and other U.S. forces. He was brought into the country through Operation Allies Welcome, settling near Seattle with his wife and five children. It has since been revealed that Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted that asylum in April, four months into Trump’s second term.

“That concerns me,” Capito said. “What kind of vetting processes do we have? When they came into the country, there was no organized vetting process. People were just brought in and that was a concern I had at the time that I voiced at the time. … Now, according to a report, he was granted an extension. How did that happen? What kind of parameters do we have?”

Lakanwal faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but his charges are likely to be upgraded to first-degree murder in light of Beckstrom’s death. Speaking Friday, Capito concurred with earlier remarks by Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, calling for the death penalty should Lakanwal be convicted.

“I agree that attack on our military, on our law-enforcement … it should be charged at the highest level,” Capito said.

Trump threatened to pause immigration from all third world countries and review granted asylum requests in a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort Thursday night. Trump has also said he will call up an additional 500 National Guard members to come to D.C. Though it was unclear whether West Virginia will provide additional Guard members, Morrisey said on CNN Friday morning the current Guard members will remain.

“One of the things I am most convinced of is when you have these terrorists, when you have these evil-doers, you’re not going to back down when these people try to go after our service men and women,” Morrisey said. “These are people who volunteered for the mission. These people signed up to be there. The last thing in the world we should do is turn around and reverse course and let the bad guys and the evil-doers win.”

Morrisey went to D.C. Thursday, visiting with the families of Beckstrom and Wolfe as well as the remaining West Virginia National Guard members. Beckstrom’s body was transferred from MedStar Washington Hospital to the District of Columbia’s medical examiner’s office.

“The people of West Virginia stand united in condemning this cowardly and evil act,” Morrisey said in his Friday morning statement. “We honor (Staff) Sgt Wolfe for his courage, and we honor (Spc.) Beckstrom for making the ultimate sacrifice in service to her state and nation.”

“We hold their families, their friends, and their fellow Guardsmen in our deepest thoughts and prayers,” Morrisey continued. “This moment of silence, and lowering of the flags, is one small way to demonstrate our gratitude, our respect, and our support during this painful and heartbreaking time.”