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What happened to Sarah Beckstrom? National Guard soldier dies of 'mortal wound' after DC shooting
Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two National Guard soldiers, who was shot in Washington DC yesterday, has succumbed to her injuries.
Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guard soldiers shot in Washington DC yesterday, has succumbed to her injuries. Beckstrom, 20, was reportedly shot in the chest and head.
President Donald Trump announced her passing. He said “Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we're talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person ... She's just passed away. She's no longer with us,” in his first live remarks since the incident.
West Virginia's Governor Patrick Morrisey also wrote on X “A few moments ago, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom passed away from the injuries sustained during yesterday’s horrific shooting. This is not the result we hoped for, but it is the result we all feared.”
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He added, “Sarah served with courage, extraordinary resolve, and an unwavering sense of duty to her state and to her nation. She answered the call to serve, stepped forward willingly, and carried out her mission with the strength and character that define the very best of the West Virginia National Guard. Today, we honor her bravery and her sacrifice as we mourn the loss of a young woman who gave everything she had in defense of others. We will forever hold her family, her friends, and her fellow Guardsmen in our prayers as they grieve what no family should ever have to bear.”
Beckstrom's father, Gary, had hinted that his daughter would most likely not make it. “I’m holding her hand right now. She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery,” he had told the New York Times.
What is a mortal wound and what happened to Beckstrom?
A mortal wound is an injury that is ultimately fatal and leads to a person's death, even with medical treatment. In this case, Beckstrom had undergone surgery but remained critical. Her fellow Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, who was also shot, remains critical as well.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old, suspected of shooting the soldiers reportedly used a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, as per US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. He is said to have ambushed the National Guard troops. While it has been called a ‘targeted’ attack, a motive has not been disclosed yet.
