National Guard member charged with Murder in Shooting Near White House
WASHINGTON – A suspect is in custody and has been charged with murder following a shooting last Wednesday that left one National guard member dead and another critically injured, authorities said. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of West Virginia, died from her injuries, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, also of West Virginia, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
According to a charging complaint detailing the incident and supported by security-camera footage, the shooting occurred around 2:15 p.m. near an underground train station a few blocks from the White House.Beckstrom and Wolfe were on patrol with other National Guard troops when gunfire erupted.
A supervisor reported hearing gunshots and witnessing both soldiers collapse. The supervisor “immediately pulled his service weapon and engaged the defendant,” the complaint states. A subsequent gunfight ensued, during which the suspect was shot and fell to the ground.
The complaint further details that the suspect attempted to reload his weapon before being subdued by another Guard member who tackled him, with assistance from Secret Service officers.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe sustained gunshot wounds to the head and were transported to a local hospital. An autopsy steadfast Beckstrom’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back of her head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The National Guard members were deployed to Washington D.C. as part of a continuing security presence in the nation’s capital. The inquiry is ongoing.
