West Virginia football honors National Guard soldiers shot in D.C.

Before the West Virginia Mountaineers football team took on the No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday afternoon in Morgantown, the crowd shared a moment of silence for the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot in Washington, D.C., Wednesday.

The public address announcer asked the crowd for silence as it came together to honor 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe from Martinsburg and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom from Webster Springs. Their pictures were shown on the scoreboard during the moment of silence.

The two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House during their deployment in D.C. Spc. Beckstrom died from her injuries, while Staff Sgt. Wolfe remains in critical condition.

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The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.

The shooting happened in broad daylight, and eyewitness video has emerged showing the shooter, believed to be Lakanwal, wearing dark clothing, turning a corner with a revolver in hand while Guardsmen scramble for cover.

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One of the Guardsmen was seen around a corner down a street and returned fire. Metro Police say other National Guardsmen heard the shots about three blocks away from the White House and were able to detain Lakanwal after he had been shot.

The shooter fired off 10 to 15 rounds with a .357 revolver, according to federal charging documents cited by Reuters.

Lakanwal had entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration’s Afghan evacuation and resettlement program. Prosecutors say he traveled across the country shortly before the attack and had no prior criminal record.

Lakanwal faces charges of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Department of Justice intends to seek the death penalty.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were among members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to the D.C. area to tackle crime in the city in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump.

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., told “FOX & Friends Weekend” Saturday that Wolfe is “hanging on,” adding his family is calling for prayer. 

“Andrew is fighting for his life right now, and his family and all of his friends, they’re trying to harvest as many prayers as possible from all across the country, all across the globe, to help him recover,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey told “Fox & Friends Weekend” Saturday.

“West Virginia cares very deeply about its guard. And there’s just a proud tradition of West Virginians who step up from military service. So, when something like this happens, it’s really a gut punch to the communities.”

As for the Mountaineers’ game, they weren’t competitive against one of the best teams in the country. The Red Raiders beat them, 49-0, to move to 11-1 on the year. West Virginia finished its season 4-8.

Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Greg Norman and Madeleine Rivera added to this report.

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