By Ahmet Salih Alacaci
WASHINGTON (AA) - One of the two National Guard members wounded in a Washington, DC shooting this week has died, US President Donald Trump announced Thursday.
"Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about, a highly respected, young, magnificent person...She’s just passed away," Trump said in a video call with members of the US military.
He was speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, in his first live remarks since a shooter opened fire blocks away from the White House in what authorities called a "targeted" attack that critically wounded two members of the West Virginia National Guard stationed in the US capital.
Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, who was taken into custody after Wednesday's attack on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Trump has said the motive of the shooter remains unclear.
Lakanwal previously worked with multiple US government agencies, including the CIA, during the US war in Afghanistan, according to intelligence officials cited by Fox News.
Besides Specialist Beckstrom, the other National Guard member who was shot on Wednesday was Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. He remains in critical condition.