UPDATED: 12/01/2025
Late last week, I shared some thoughts stating that both National Guard members had been killed in the D.C. shooting. After receiving updated and verified information, I want to correct the record.
Spc. Sarah Beckstrom made the ultimate sacrifice.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is still fighting for his life, and I am praying hard for his recovery, his family, and the entire West Virginia National Guard community.
As a veteran and as an American, this attack is infuriating. No servicemember should ever face deadly violence on American soil—especially while deployed to protect our nation’s capital.
My deepest condolences remain with the Beckstrom family. Their daughter stood for courage, character, and service. We owe her more than words.
And once the suspect is convicted, I believe the death penalty should be on the table. Actions this evil demand the strongest punishment our justice system allows.
We must protect those who protect us. We must restore order in our homeland. And we must never allow an act like this to be forgotten or minimized.
May God carry both families through this dark moment, and may He watch over Staff Sgt. Wolfe as he continues to fight.
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Today’s events in our nation’s capital demand clarity and courage. Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot near the White House while carrying out their mission to keep Washington safe. I will never accept or normalize violence against American service members on American soil. Not in our capital. Not anywhere in this nation.
When a Guardsman is targeted at home, it signals a breakdown in the basic order that every citizen depends on. This country must never project to the world that we cannot protect the very people who protect us. That is a direct threat to our stability, our national confidence and our standing as a secure nation.
My heart is with the families who now face the unthinkable on the eve of Thanksgiving. They did not ask for this burden. They did not volunteer for this grief. Their loved ones stepped forward for this country and this country has an obligation to step forward for them.
If I am given the privilege to serve in Congress, I will fight for legislation that guarantees military families the support they deserve. Immediate financial relief. Long-term benefits. Stronger protections for National Guard members deployed in domestic missions. Their sacrifice must never be met with silence or excuses.
I also believe that anyone who murders a United States service member should face the strongest penalty allowed under federal law. Justice must be firm. Justice must be swift. Justice must send a message that harming those who defend this nation carries the highest consequences.
America must protect its protectors. We owe our Guard members more than gratitude. We owe them safety, certainty and a government willing to act with the strength this moment demands.
May my service members in arms rest in peace!
