National Guardsman ‘slowly healing’ after being shot in Washington DC

A National Guardsman is recovering after he was critically wounded in an ambush firefight last month in Washington, D.C.

The parents of 24-year-old Andrew Wolf say his head wound is slowly healing and that he is starting to “look more like himself,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said.

The family expects the Air Force staff sergeant to remain in the emergency room for the next two to three weeks and they are optimistic about his progress, Morrisey said in a statement.

Staff Sergeant Wolf was one of two West Virginia National Guard members shot and killed when a gunman opened fire near the White House on Nov. 26. His colleague, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries.

“We continue to ask all West Virginians and Americans to pray!” the governor said in his statement.

On Friday evening, Morrisey attended a vigil for Staff Sergeant Wolfe at Musselman High School in Inwood, West Virginia, where the Guardsman once attended.

The pastor at the vigil read a message from the soldier's parents, Jason and Melody Wolfe.

“We know we have a long way to go,” they wrote, according to local news outlet Metro News.

“But our faith gives us hope. We remain grateful for the prayers and support from people around the world.”

Earlier this week, the governor said Staff Sergeant Wolf responded to the nurse with a thumbs up and was able to wiggle his toes.

Police have charged the suspected shooter, an Afghan national named Rahmanullah Lakanwal, with first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill.

Before coming to the United States in 2021, he was once a counterterrorism soldier in a CIA-backed unit that worked with American troops in Afghanistan.

Staff Sergeant Wolf was one of 2,000 National Guard members that President Donald Trump sent to the nation's capital in August as part of a crackdown on immigration and crime in Democratic-led cities.

After the shooting, Trump said he wanted to send 500 more National Guard troops to the nation's capital.

The Trump administration also cited the shooting as a reason to take additional measures to crack down on immigration.

They have canceled all citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from 19 countries affected by the travel ban announced over the summer, including Afghanistan.