INWOOD, WEST VIRGINIA – The West Virginia National Guard member who survived last week’s shooting in Washington, D.C., is slowly recovering, Governor Patrick Morrisey said Friday.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe’s head injury is gradually improving, and “he’s beginning to ‘look more like himself,’” the governor said, citing comments from Wolfe’s parents. Wolfe and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was ambushed while patrolling a subway station three blocks from the White House on Nov. 26. Beckstrom died the following day from her injuries.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who was also shot during the incident, has been charged with murder and pleaded not guilty. Wolfe’s family expects he will remain in acute care for another two to three weeks, the governor said, and asked West Virginians and Americans to continue keeping him in their thoughts. A vigil is scheduled Friday night at Wolfe’s alma mater, Musselman High School in Berkeley County.
Wolfe, 24, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, about 75 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., is assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard. He has also worked as a lineman for Frontier Communications since early 2023.
A 2019 graduate of Musselman High School, Wolfe was described by Principal Alicia Riggleman as a dedicated and high-achieving student who contributed positively to the school community both academically and athletically. Wolfe and Beckstrom were among more than 2,000 National Guard troops deployed to Washington as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting mission, which involved support of the local police department.