D.C. Nationwide Guard taking pictures stay updates as Trump says one of many wounded Guard members has died

Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia stated he was “completely devastated” to study of the passing of a member of his state’s Nationwide Guard, 20-year-old Military Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who was shot in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

“Cathy and I are heartbroken past phrases. Our prayers are along with her household, associates, and fellow guardsmen throughout an extremely tough Thanksgiving Day,” he stated in a press release. “We’re additionally lifting up Andrew Wolfe in prayer as he continues his journey to restoration. West Virginians at all times present up for each other, and right now it is our flip to indicate up for our service members as they mourn this horrible loss.”

Air Pressure Workers Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was in important situation after present process surgical procedure, U.S. Lawyer for D.C. Jeanine Pirro stated earlier Thursday.

One of many Nationwide Guard members who was shot, 20-year-old Military Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, has died, President Trump stated Thursday.

A working principle of investigators is that the suspect within the taking pictures of the 2 Nationwide Guard members suffered from paranoia and different psychological well being challenges that indicated he believed authorities sought to deport him from the U.S., a number of regulation enforcement sources instructed CBS Information on Thursday.

By Nicole Sganga and Pat Milton

A number of relations of the suspect in Washington state have been interviewed by investigators following a search of the suspect’s Bellingham residence, a number of regulation enforcement sources instructed CBS Information.

Federal regulation enforcement, led by the FBI, are scrutinizing and analyzing the suspect’s digital footprint, the sources stated. No different suspects have been recognized in reference to the taking pictures.

By Nicole Sganga and Pat Milton

The Trump administration stated Thursday it will likely be conducting a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of all inexperienced playing cards for each immigrant from “a rustic of concern” within the wake of the taking pictures.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies Director Joseph Edlow stated Thursday that the order had come on the request of President Trump. Two Homeland Safety officers instructed CBS Information there are 19 nations on that checklist, together with Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Venezuela.

Learn extra right here.

The Trump administration is now reviewing all asylum circumstances accredited beneath the Biden administration, Division of Homeland Safety spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated in a press release to CBS Information on Thursday.

It is unclear how wide-ranging the evaluation might be. The Trump administration had ordered an unprecedented evaluation and rescreening of all refugees admitted to the U.S. beneath the Biden administration earlier this month. Refugees and asylum-seekers have to fulfill the identical authorized definition, however arrive within the U.S. beneath totally different circumstances.

The suspect entered the U.S. in 2021, and his asylum case was granted earlier this 12 months, whereas President Trump was in workplace, a Homeland Safety official instructed CBS Information. In her assertion, McLaughlin appeared responsible the suspect’s approval on a Biden-era courtroom settlement that requires the federal authorities to expedite the processing of Afghan asylum circumstances.

A picture of an ID badge circulating broadly on-line Thursday that purportedly reveals the suspect says he was assigned to the “Kandahar Strike Pressure” or “03” unit, one in every of numerous so-called “Zero Models” that labored carefully with U.S. and different international forces throughout the conflict in Afghanistan.

The badge additionally carries the phrases “Firebase Gecko,” which was the identify of a base utilized by the CIA and particular forces in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, inside what was beforehand the compound of the Taliban’s founding chief, Mullah Mohammad Omar.

CBS Information has not independently verified the authenticity of the ID badge proven within the images, however CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated the suspect had beforehand labored “with the U.S. Authorities, together with CIA, as a member of a companion power in Kandahar.”

Learn extra right here.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated a search warrant had been executed on the suspect’s final identified tackle in Washington state. Based mostly on what was discovered on the tackle, regulation enforcement was capable of finding folks related to him in San Diego. 

“Throughout that course of, we seized quite a few digital units to incorporate cellphones, laptops, iPads and different materials that’s being analyzed as we converse,” Patel stated. “… Interviews had been carried out and are going to be proceed to be carried out, and we’ll go wherever within the nation or the world the place the proof leads us.”

U.S. Lawyer Jeanine Pirro stated the victims — Military Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Pressure Workers Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 — each stay in important situation after present process surgical procedure.

“They’re receiving the best medical care. Their households are with them now,” Pirro stated, including, “It isn’t clear how it may find yourself.”

Pirro stated each had been sworn into Nationwide Guard responsibility lower than 24 hours earlier than the assault. The Nationwide Guard’s joint activity power for the district later clarified that the 2 guard members have been serving within the district since August and had been deputized earlier than the assault to keep up their standing to conduct patrols.

“We’re praying on a day like right now, when households come collectively in America they usually maintain palms across the Thanksgiving desk, I encourage you, I beseech you, to hope for these two younger folks,” Pirro stated.

U.S. Lawyer Jeanine Pirro stated Thursday that the suspect might be charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill whereas armed, and he may also be charged with possession of a firearm throughout against the law of violence. The costs may nonetheless change relying on the situation of the wounded guard members.

U.S. Lawyer Jeanine Pirro stated it was too quickly to say what the attainable motive was for the taking pictures.

“It is too quickly to say what the motive is, however there are undoubtedly areas that we’re trying into, however not able to say,” Pirro stated.

The suspect had been dwelling in Bellingham, Washington, together with his spouse and youngsters, and he drove throughout the nation to Washington, D.C., earlier than the assault, U.S. Lawyer Jeanine Pirro stated throughout a information convention Thursday.

The 2 Nationwide Guard members who had been wounded had been posted outdoors a metro station when the gunman opened hearth with out warning in what regulation enforcement sources described as a “clear ambush” and “calculated assault.”

The primary sufferer — a feminine Guard member — was struck instantly and collapsed the place she stood, the sources stated. She sustained at the very least two gunshot wounds throughout the ambush. 

The suspect, who was wielding a handgun, had 4 rounds in his firearm initially, sources stated. After he fired them, he then took the fallen Guardswoman’s weapon and used it to proceed taking pictures, placing the second Guard member, the sources stated. 

A 3rd Guardsman stabbed the suspect with a pocketknife, whereas a fourth returned hearth and shot the suspect a number of instances, ending the assault.

The wounded Guard members had been deputized for the deployment however weren’t working as regulation enforcement and didn’t have arrest powers, the sources stated. They had been stationed outdoors the metro cease as a part of a high-visibility foot patrol that consisted of presence-based safety, not lively policing, the sources defined.

By Nicole Sganga and Jennifer Jacobs

The suspect detained within the taking pictures of two Nationwide Guard members will not be cooperating with authorities at the moment, regulation enforcement sources instructed CBS Information Wednesday night time.

A number of regulation enforcement officers beforehand recognized him as 29-year-old Afghan nationwide Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021. (The Division of Homeland Safety had earlier spelled his final identify as Lakamal.)

A CIA spokesperson instructed CBS Information on Thursday that the Afghan suspect within the taking pictures “beforehand labored with the U.S. authorities, together with CIA, as a member of a companion power in Kandahar that resulted in 2021” following the U.S. navy withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In a separate assertion, CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated “the Biden Administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to america in September 2021 attributable to his prior work with the U.S. Authorities, together with CIA, as a member of a companion power in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation. This particular person — and so many others — ought to have by no means been allowed to return right here. Our residents and servicemembers deserve much better than to endure the continuing fallout from the Biden Administration’s catastrophic failures. God Bless our courageous troops.”

CBS Information has discovered that the Afghan suspect within the taking pictures led a crew within the former Afghan nationwide armed forces that labored immediately with U.S. and British forces throughout the two-decade conflict within the nation.

In keeping with a former Afghan commando who spoke with CBS Information on Thursday, Rahmanullah Lakanwal led a unit of Afghan particular forces within the south of the nation and labored carefully with the worldwide troops.

The previous commando instructed CBS Information that Lakanawal was left deeply troubled by the dying of a detailed good friend and fellow Afghan commander in 2024, whom he stated had unsuccessfully sought asylum within the U.S.

A Division of Homeland Safety official instructed CBS Information the suspect detained within the D.C. taking pictures of two Nationwide Guard members was paroled into the U.S. on humanitarian grounds in 2021. Federal authorities have recognized him as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan nationwide.

That was the primary authorized mechanism the Biden administration used to welcome tens of 1000’s of Afghan evacuees after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Lakanwal was admitted to the U.S. in September of that 12 months.

Lakanwal later utilized for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies in 2024 and his software was granted in 2025, the official stated. However his request for a inexperienced card, which is tied to the asylum grant, is pending.

As such, he’s technically an asylee as of now and isn’t within the U.S. illegally.

The Trump administration has paused the processing of all immigration functions for Afghan nationals following Wednesday’s taking pictures of two Nationwide Guard members, officers stated, after the suspect detained within the taking pictures was recognized as an Afghan nationwide.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies introduced Wednesday night time that it is enacting an indefinite pause on the processing of all immigration functions filed by Afghan nationals.

“Efficient instantly, processing of all immigration requests regarding Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending additional evaluation of safety and vetting protocols,” the USCIS assertion obtained by CBS Information reads. “The protections and security of our homeland and of the American folks stays our singular focus and mission.”

The Division of Homeland Safety has recognized the taking pictures suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who DHS says was admitted to america in September 2021, a month after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“We should now reexamine each single alien who has entered our nation from Afghanistan beneath Biden,” President Trump stated in an tackle Wednesday night time.

Learn extra right here.