Guardsman wounded in Washington shooting fights for life, responding to suggestions

Andrew Wolfe, the West Virginia National Guardsman who survived the White House shooting, remains in critical condition. But he showed signs of consciousness - responding by moving his fingers and raising his thumb, according to Governor Patrick Morrisey.

Wolfe and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom were shot last Wednesday, with Beckstrom dying from her injuries. Both were part of the troops sent to Washington by President Donald Trump to crack down on crime.

The attacker was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who authorities say became radicalized after arriving in the U.S. under the 2021 relocation program. He was wounded during the incident and faces murder charges.

Lakanwal was formerly a member of a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan and was granted asylum during the Trump administration. Trump announced a halt to migration from so-called third countries after the incident.

Governor Morrisey defended the Guard's presence in D.C., saying that all 170 soldiers volunteered. Critics call the deployment a politicization of the military force.

(Reuters)