National Guard servicewoman wounded near White House died
Photo: the White House (Getty Images)
President of the United States Donald Trump has announced the death of a National Guard servicewoman who was wounded in a shooting near the White House, according to Fox News.
Trump announced the death of 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard servicewoman Sarah Bextrom during his Thanksgiving address.
"Sarah Bextrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen we’re talking about, an honored, young, wonderful woman, began her service in June 2023, proving herself to be an outstanding person. She has just died," Trump said.
A second National Guard service member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition, Trump added.
Both soldiers were wounded on November 26 in Washington, after a shooting a few blocks from the White House.
Initial reports claimed both guardsmen had died, but FBI director Kash Patel later denied this, stating that they remained in critical condition.
Trump's response after shooting
In his social media posts, the US president wrote that the "animal" who opened fire on the guardsmen "will be punished."
Later, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told reporters that Trump had requested an additional 500 troops be sent to Washington.
Within hours of the shooting, the FBI identified the gunman as an Afghan national who entered the United States in September 2021, one month after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Trump administration has suspended the processing of all immigration applications from Afghan citizens. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services clarified that the suspension is indefinite.
