National Guard member Andrew Wolfe is “slowly healing” after D.C. shooting, West Virginia governor says

Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is “slowly healing” after last week’s shooting in Washington, D.C., West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Friday.

“His parents report that his head wound is slowly healing and that he’s beginning to ‘look more like himself,'” Morrisey said in a statement.

The governor said the family expects Wolfe, 24, to be in acute care for another two to three weeks, but has been “optimistic about his progress.”

West Virginia National Guard members Wolfe and Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom were shot in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., last week. Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries the following day, on Nov. 27. 

The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was also shot during the confrontation and taken into custody, officials said. He has since been charged with murder, assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Wolfe on Monday responded to a nurse with a thumbs-up and was also able to move his toes, Morrisey previously told reporters during a news conference, calling it “a positive sign.”

Wolfe was assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard. He has worked as a lineman with Frontier Communications since early 2023, the company said, The Associated Press reported.

Wolfe is from Martinsburg, West Virginia, and has served in the Guard since February 2019, according to the West Virginia National Guard.