Photo by Steven Allen Adams Gov. Patrick Morrisey and Maj. Gen. James Seward, the adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, take questions from the press regarding last week’s shooting of two Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Monday at the State Capitol Building.

CHARLESTON – West Virginia officials are rallying support for the family of a state National Guard member still in critical condition following a shooting in Washington, D.C., last week and the family of his slain colleague.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey and Maj. Gen. James Seward, the adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, held their first press conference in Charleston Monday afternoon since the shooting Wednesday that left Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in critical condition in a local hospital. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died of wounds sustained in the shooting on Thanksgiving.

“My heart goes out to the family of the two individuals who (were) despicably gunned down in Washington, D.C.,” Morrisey said. “I think that the West Virginia people are strong and they know that everything is being done right now to ensure that justice is served, but equally important, we have to make sure we’re doing everything possible to send prayers and to console people who are going through just unspeakable times right now.”

“I want to tell the members of the West Virginia National Guard that our family has joined together across this state and in D.C. – our family members in the Guard that are in the Middle East, that are in Europe, that are on the southwest border – I’ve heard from all of those regions and we’re praying together,” Seward said. “We are a family, 6,000-plus strong. And so, when we lose one of our family members, I can tell you that every guardsman I’ve talked to is grieving.”

Morrisey said that Wolfe remains in serious condition, but he has responded to questions from the nursing staff, giving a thumbs up and being able to wiggle his toes.

“We take that as a positive sign,” said Morrisey, who has met with Wolfe’s family since last week’s shooting. “These are wonderful people, and the family’s going through a very difficult situation right now as Andrew fights to survive.”

Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were part of a 160-strong contingent of West Virginia National Guard members volunteering to remain in Washington, D.C., through the end of the year. Beckstrom, from Summersville, was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade. Wolfe, from Martinsburg, was assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing.

“People were talking so eloquently about Sarah, who, by all counts, is an amazing woman, who lifted up people around her with a smile,” said Morrisey, who attended a vigil for Becktrsom in Nicholas County Saturday night. “From talking to Sarah’s parents and to people in the unit, everyone had nothing but incredible things to say about Sarah, and she is someone who’s going to be remembered for a very, very long time. She had her life tragically cut short by this terrible act of terrorism.”

The shooting happened Wednesday afternoon at the Farragut Square Metro Station, two blocks away from the White House. The shooter was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who arrived in the U.S. with his wife and children in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome as a result of working with the CIA and other U.S. forces prior to the evacuation of military personnel.

Lakanwal – who drove to D.C. from his home in the state of Washington – was reportedly shot and taken into custody by nearby Guard members and local law enforcement. Lakanwal faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and first-degree murder, which could carry the federal death penalty if convicted.

Despite living in the U.S. since 2021, Lakanwal didn’t apply for political asylum until 2024 during former President Joe Biden’s final year in office. The asylum petition was approved in April in the early part of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that Lakanwal had been “radicalized” since arriving in the U.S. though subsequent reporting by the Associated Press paints a picture of an individual with severe mental health problems prone to isolating himself and being gone for days on cross-country drives. The Trump administration has paused the asylum process and is working on new asylum guidelines.

Beckstrom and Wolfe had been stationed in Washington since August, after Morrisey sent approximately 400 West Virginia National Guard members to the nation’s capital after Trump called up the D.C. National Guard and requested Guard units from other states to help combat crime.

Seward said the deployed members are “trained professionals” who are deputized as U.S. marshals and armed while on patrol.

“I’m confident in their ability. I remain confident in their ability,” Seward said. “In briefings with senior law enforcement officials in the district this week, I will tell you dozens of them have told me – those involved in the investigation – that our members performed their duties as they have been trained, and they are proud of them.”

Since last week’s shooting, Trump has called for a buildup of 500 National Guard members to come to D.C. Morrisey said that West Virginia has not been asked to provide additional members as part of the deployment. While Morrisey said the remaining 170 volunteers would remain in D.C. through the end of the year, it was unclear whether those members might stay longer than the Dec. 31 date.

In a press release Monday afternoon, Del. Mike Pushkin, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, called on Morrisey to provide further clarification on the Guard’s D.C. deployment and their role since August.

“West Virginians deserve answers, which is why we are calling on Governor Morrisey to explain how these duties align with the crime fighting mission he and the Trump administration outlined to the public as the original rationale for deploying these troops to Washington, D.C.,” said Pushkin, D-Kanawha. “Respectfully, West Virginians deserve to know whether this deployment was designed primarily for public safety or whether our Guard was assigned work far outside its traditional responsibilities while putting themselves in harm’s way.”

In social media posts over the weekend, Morrisey has stressed that all remaining members of the West Virginia National Guard in D.C. are volunteers and there of their own volition. But Morrisey confirmed a Nov. 8 press release by the West Virginia National Guard that it was his decision to authorize the Guard to keep a volunteer contingent in the nation’s capital.

“I made the decision to have the word come down that we would ask the people if they wanted to volunteer,” Morrisey said. “There was never any pressure. This was done that if people wanted to stay and fulfill the mission, they could.

“I was pleased to report that between about 160 and 170 people had asked to do that. And so that’s why I emphasized that,” Morrisey continued. “These are people that knew the mission. They agreed with the mission. I think the mission has been largely successful, and they wanted to serve their state, and they wanted to serve their country.”

Both Morrisey and Seward have visited with the remaining Guard members stationed in D.C. Counseling has been made available for all Guard members, with outside foundations also providing assistance.

“Our sole focus right now is looking after the well-being of our 170 service members who are on the ground, focusing on the families, and ensuring the prayers are going out,” Morrisey said.