U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was a 20‑year‑old West Virginia National Guard military police soldier who was shot and killed while on patrol in Washington, D.C., the day before Thanksgiving 2025, during a deployment to help with public safety near the White House area.

Quick Scoop: What happened to Sarah Beckstrom?

  • Sarah Beckstrom served with the 863rd Military Police Company, West Virginia Army National Guard.
  • She was on a street patrol near central Washington, D.C. (around the White House/Farragut Square area) the day before Thanksgiving 2025 when she was ambushed and shot.
  • An Afghan national was later charged in connection with the shooting; officials and Donald Trump publicly described him as a “terrorist” who should not have been in the country.
  • Sarah was critically wounded and died on Thanksgiving evening 2025 from her injuries.
  • Another Guard member, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe of West Virginia, was also shot in the head in the same attack but survived after extensive treatment and has been recovering.

Honors and later recognition

  • Sarah Beckstrom was laid to rest with full military honors at West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton in June 2025.
  • She was remembered as a dedicated young soldier who had worked in behavioral health support before deployment and had even volunteered to extend her time on duty.
  • In February 2026, during his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump posthumously awarded her the Purple Heart and invited her parents, Evalea and Gary Beckstrom, as special guests in the gallery.
  • At the same event, Trump also honored Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who received a Purple Heart for surviving the same attack.

Public and forum reaction

  • The case drew national attention because it involved National Guard troops shot on duty in the U.S. capital and quickly became part of wider debates about immigration, terrorism, and public safety.
  • On military and National Guard–related forums, users posted condolences, messages of support for her family, and anger toward the shooter, reflecting a strong sense of loss in the Guard community.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public news outlets and forums available on the internet and portrayed here.