Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died after she and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe were shot in an ambush near the White House. President Trump said, “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now,” calling her “a highly respected, young, magnificent person.” Beckstrom died hours before Trump’s Thanksgiving call with troops. Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition. “He’s fighting for his life,” Trump said.

The two had been serving in Washington, D.C., under the Safe and Beautiful Mission. They were ambushed around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, just a day after being deputized for patrols. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal — an Afghan who had worked with U.S. forces — was wounded and arrested. He is charged with first-degree murder. Officials confirmed the soldiers were deployed under a federal anti-crime order issued in August.

Beckstrom enlisted in June 2023 and served with the 863rd Military Police Company. Wolfe joined in 2019 and serves with the 167th Airlift Wing. A task force spokesperson said, “These were soldiers who believed in serving not just their state but their country.”

Beckstrom’s father wrote, “My baby girl has passed to glory.” He said her wounds were “mortal” and that he held her hand in the hospital: “It’s not going to be a recovery.” Wolfe’s father asked the public, “Just pray for my son.”

Her death has renewed discussion about the risks of domestic service. At twenty years old, with less than two years in uniform, she is remembered as someone who served quietly and with heart.