Afghan national is suspect in Guard ambush shooting; 2 troops ID'd and charges mount, officials say

"WASHINGTON (AP) - An Afghan national has been accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence at a time when the presence of troops in the nation's capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said at a Thursday news briefing that the guard members shot were Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. The guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after Wednesday afternoon's shooting."

"Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, drove across the country to launch an "ambush-style" attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that "it's too soon to say" what the suspect's motives were."

"The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding, "We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge." The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration's use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem."

Two West Virginia National Guard members, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot just blocks from the White House and hospitalized in critical condition. The 29-year-old suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who allegedly drove across the country and used a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver in an "ambush-style" attack. He faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with prosecutors saying charges could be upgraded. The suspect was also shot and sustained non-life-threatening wounds. The incident prompted the Trump administration to order 500 additional National Guard members to Washington amid a heated debate over military deployments to U.S. cities.

Read at Boston.com