National Guard member killed in DC shooting laid to rest with full military honors

LocalPolitics
11 Dec 2025 • 7:17 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

A West Virginia National Guard member, Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, fatally shot last month in the nation’s capital, was laid to rest with full military honors in a private ceremony. Her funeral took place Tuesday at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton, Governor Patrick Morrisey said in a statement.

“The ceremony was deeply moving and reflected the strength, grace, and love of a remarkable young woman and the family and friends who surrounded her,” Morrisey said.

Spc. Beckstrom graduated with honors from Webster County High School in 2023 and joined the National Guard shortly after. She served in the 863rd Military Police Company.

image is not available

Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe were ambushed as they patrolled a subway station three blocks from the White House on Nov. 26. She died the next day.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot during the confrontation, has been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty.

Morrisey has said Wolfe, who remains in a hospital in Washington, is slowly healing and his family expects he will be in acute care for another few weeks.

Read More

Scores of government statisticians are gone, leaving data at risk, report says

House is voting on a defense bill to raise troop pay and overhaul weapons purchases

MAGA reporter is ditching White House gig to follow girlfriend MTG back to Georgia