🔗 Share this article

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he has asked the relatives of a National Guard member fatally shot last week to visit the executive mansion.

He noted that he conversed with her family and they were “deeply grieving”.

Details on the Tragic Shooting

Soldier Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in a attack on last Wednesday in the nation's capital.

Her fellow service member, US air force staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, twenty-four years old, continues receiving treatment in serious condition.

Vigils across the state have occurred in their memory.

White House Invitation

The commander-in-chief said he’s talked about a visit to the White House for the parents of both soldiers of the West Virginia Guard.

“I told them: ‘When you’re prepared, because that’s a hard experience, come to the White House. We’re going to honor her,” Trump told reporters. “And likewise with him, recover or not.”

Public Support

Mourners assembled over the past few days at the high school in West Virginia to remember Beckstrom.

Both she and Wolfe had been working with the West Virginia National Guard as part of the president’s federal initiative to aid law enforcement in DC.

Honoring Sarah Beckstrom

“She was the kind of student that instructors desired. She carried herself with quiet strength, a warm expression and a upbeat demeanor that encouraged those around her,” the principal, the principal of Beckstrom’s alma mater, stated to the Associated Press. “She was kind, considerate and always eager to support those in need.”

Service arrangements for Beckstrom are yet to be finalized.

Judicial Steps and Policy Adjustments

Law enforcement have indicted a 29-year-old individual from Afghanistan with one count of murder and charges of assault with intent to kill while armed.

The tragedy led the administration to pause refugee claims and halt issuing entry permits to holders of travel documents.

Condition of Wolfe

Wolfe, a native of the city, began his service in 2019 and is a graduate of Musselman high school, as reported by the news agency.

He is still undergoing care and is “in a critical fight”, West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey said on Fox News Channel’s The Sunday Briefing.

Attorney general Pam Bondi told a news show that she also intended to visit Wolfe’s family.

Impact of Sarah Beckstrom

Beckstrom, from her hometown, graduated from her high school in June 2023 and began her service not long after, serving as a law enforcement officer with distinction, per the state guard.

“She had a lot of compassion and she absolutely had courage,” he addressed the crowd at the vigil. “Though her time lasted far too short, she has left a mark that’s going to endure.”