Locals pay respect at makeshift memorial for slain National Guard member in Washington

WASHINGTON: A makeshift memorial featuring flowers and American flags was erected near the Farragut West Metro station entrance in Washington DC to pay respect to slain National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom.

Two National Guard Service members were shot at by an Afghan national near the White House on November 26. One of them, Sarah Beckstrom, later succumbed to her injuries, while Andrew Wolfe was seriously injured.

Locals paid respect to Sarah Beckstrom by making the memorial, covering it with flowers and photographs of her. Earlier, the US said that the “monster responsible” for the killing of a National Guard member in a shooting near White House will face “the most severe punishment”.

.@PressSecDOW took a moment to honor Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. pic.twitter.com/aVnEZI3jcW

— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) December 2, 2025

“Sarah and Andrew are heroes, and we will never forget their sacrifice. 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”, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press conference on Monday.

Leavitt blamed the former President Joe Biden’s administration, claiming that the nearly 1,00,000 Afghans were “recklessly” allowed in the US with “little to no vetting”. “We continue to live with the deadly consequences of Joe Biden’s horrific leadership. Nearly 100,000 Afghans were recklessly released into the United States with little to no vetting”.

We are devastated to confirm the death of our own, Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who was shot in the line of duty near the Farragut Square Metro Station Wednesday. Spc. Beckstrom was pronounced dead at MedStar Washington Hospital on Nov. 27, by wounds incurred during the shooting. pic.twitter.com/24aBjnstFk

— WV National Guard (@WVNationalGuard) November 28, 2025

The accused, Rahamanullah Lakanwal (29), migrated from Afghanistan in 2021 under ‘Operation Allies Welcome’ during Joe Biden’s tenure, after the chaotic withdrawal of US forces in Afghanistan. Leavitt, slamming Joe Biden for the “botched withdrawal” from Afghanistan, said that it was “most embarrassing moments” in the history of the US, and Biden’s “historic failure continues” to haunt this country.

“The terrorist who gunned down American soldiers blocks away from the White House in an ambush was an Afghan national who was flown into our country by Joe Biden’s administration in September 2021 in the chaotic wake of their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. One of the most embarrassing moments in the history of our great country. Joe Biden’s historic failure in Afghanistan continues to haunt this country and our men and women in uniform,” Leavitt said.

Speaking on the attack on two members of the National Guard, Trump, on Sunday, said, “Andrew is fighting for his life”. She added that she intends to honour both of them at the White House. (ANI)