WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Thanksgiving Eve shooting that critically wounded two National Guard members near the White House has become a flashpoint in the country’s intensifying debate over immigration, national security, and the Trump administration’s unprecedented domestic military deployments. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro delivered a blistering televised address promising swift and uncompromising justice — vowing that “attacks on our troops will NOT be normalized.”

Her remarks, aired live on Newsmax, marked the administration’s strongest prosecutorial posture yet after a string of violent incidents targeting federal or military personnel in 2025. But this case — bloody, brazen, and unfolding steps from the seat of federal power — has struck a deeper nerve.

“This will be confronted, condemned, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Pirro declared, her tone measured but unmistakably furious. “We will not allow extremists or opportunists to commit violence against the men and women protecting our nation’s capital.”

The victims, identified as West Virginia National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom (20) and Andrew Wolfe (24), were shot multiple times shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday near 17th and I Streets NW, blocks from the White House and the Farragut West Metro stop. Prosecutors say both soldiers exchanged fire with the suspect in what appears to have been a deliberate ambush.

Beckstrom underwent emergency surgery and is fighting for her life. Wolfe, also operated on, remains in critical but stable condition as of Friday morning.

A Cross-Country Trip With Deadly Intent

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakamal, an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome — the Biden-era emergency resettlement program for Afghan allies following the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul.

According to authorities, Lakamal drove from Washington State to Washington, D.C. to carry out the attack. The motive remains unclear, but officials are examining whether ideology, mental instability, personal grievance, or a mix of factors were at play.

Lakamal was shot during the confrontation with Guard members and remains hospitalized with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Multiple officials, speaking on background, say there is no immediate evidence of a foreign-directed terror plot, but the FBI and DHS are aggressively probing digital communications, travel patterns, and financial records.

Adding a layer of complexity: before arriving in the U.S., Lakamal worked with the CIA as part of a partnered force in Kandahar, per former CIA Director John Ratcliffe — fueling early speculation that trauma or personal fallout from the U.S. exit may have played a role.

Graphic Scenes and Brave Response

Videos posted on social media showed a chaotic aftermath: first responders performing CPR on a uniformed Guard member, shattered glass littering the sidewalk, onlookers shouting for help.

Officials say fellow Guardsmen subdued the shooter within seconds, preventing what could have been a mass casualty event in one of the most sensitive areas of the nation’s capital.

One officer described it as “an extraordinary act of courage under fire.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, often at odds with the Trump administration, abandoned political framing altogether in her first comments.

“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bowser said. “That person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Pirro and Bondi Chart the Federal Response — With Possible Death Penalty Charges

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that prosecutors are preparing terrorism charges and will “seek the death penalty if either soldier dies.”

“Right now, we will base our charges on their prognosis,” Bondi said. “We’re praying for recovery. But worst-case scenario? Minimum life in prison with terrorism enhancements.”

Bondi emphasized that the ambush represents a red line for her Justice Department.

“These are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters — children of God — who put on a uniform for this nation,” Bondi said. “Any attack on them is an attack on America.”

Immigration and Vetting Under Fierce Scrutiny

Lakamal’s immigration history instantly reignited the political dynamite surrounding Afghan refugee vetting.

DHS says he was among thousands of Afghan nationals brought to the U.S. under Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome — and accused the prior administration of allowing “unvetted individuals, including criminals and potential terrorists,” into the country.

That framing plays directly into President Trump’s broader immigration offensive. In the past 48 hours, Trump has:

suspended all Afghan immigration pathways

ordered a review of green cards for 19 “countries of concern”

called for “reverse migration” of non-citizens deemed security risks

pushed for a “permanent pause” on migration from “Third World countries”

The attack gives political fuel to an already aggressive immigration overhaul and has triggered fresh fear in refugee-led communities nationwide.

Meanwhile, advocates warn that political exploitation risks stigmatizing tens of thousands of innocent Afghan allies—many of whom fought shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. troops.

A City Under Military Floodlights

At the time of the attack, roughly 2,200 National Guard troops were already stationed throughout Washington under President Trump’s controversial domestic security doctrine.

Hours after the shooting, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Trump ordered 500 additional Guardsmen deployed to the capital — despite a November 20 federal court ruling restricting the use of out-of-state troops for routine policing.

“This will only stiffen our resolve,” Hegseth said. “We will secure our capital. We will never back down.”

Civil liberties groups condemned the expanded deployment as “martial-law creep,” while White House allies framed it as essential deterrence.

A Tragedy That Touches Multiple Fault Lines

The Thanksgiving Eve attack sits at the intersection of nearly every combustible political debate in America:

Immigration and refugee vetting

Trump’s domestic militarization strategy

The legacy of the Afghanistan withdrawal

The legal authority to deploy National Guard troops in cities

Rising fears of extremist violence targeting federal personnel

The administration’s sweeping crackdown on noncitizens

And now, the human toll: two young service members fighting for their lives.

Beckstrom, 20, dreamed of being a pediatric nurse. Wolfe, 24, reportedly joined the Guard to pay for college. Families in West Virginia have launched prayer circles, GoFundMe pages, and candlelight vigils. Their communities describe them as “the kind of kids any parent would be proud of.”

What Comes Next

Pirro confirmed that federal terrorism prosecutors, FBI counterterror agents, and D.C. homicide detectives are conducting a joint investigation.

Lakamal is expected to face:

attempted murder

assault with a firearm

terrorism charges

potential capital charges depending on outcomes

He remains in custody under guard.

Pirro closed her address with a message intended not just for the suspect — but for anyone watching:

“We will not allow violence against our troops. Not yesterday. Not today. Not ever. And if you think America will cower, you are wrong. We will confront this. We will prosecute this. And we will prevail.”

The nation, shaken but defiant, now waits for updates on the two young soldiers caught in the crossfire of a country still wrestling with the consequences of war abroad — and political warfare at home.