West Virginia National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe is beginning to “look more like himself” after he was shot the day before Thanksgiving in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., which also claimed the life of fellow National Guard officer Sarah Beckstrom.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey relayed the update before attending a Friday night prayer vigil for Wolfe at Musselman High School in Berkeley County, from where the 24-year-old graduated.
Morrisey added that Wolfe’s head wound is “slowly healing,” but his family expects he’ll remain in acute care for another two to three weeks.
“They remain optimistic moving forward,” the governor said, citing Wolfe’s parents. “We continue to ask all West Virginians and Americans for their prayers! They are making a difference!”
Wolfe, a staff sergeant, had been deployed to the nation’s capital when both he and Beckstrom were shot at close range on Nov. 26, just blocks away from the White House. They were in D.C. as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on what it has called rampant crime in major cities across the U.S.
Beckstrom, and Army specialist, died the next day, on Thanksgiving. She was 20 years old. Wolfe was meanwhile left in critical condition after the shooting. President Trump at the time said he was in “very bad shape,” while Morrisey last weekend said Wolfe was still “fighting for his life.”
The suspect in the attack, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, made a virtual court appearance on Tuesday from a hospital bed. He was also shot during the confrontation and taken into custody, officials said.
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The suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., has been identified as 29-year-old Afghan citizen Rahmanullah Lakanwal. (Getty)
He has since been charged with one count of murder, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
