All National Guard members in DC 'now armed' after shooting near White House: Pentagon

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - All National Guard members deployed to Washington, DC are "now armed" after last week's shooting near the White House, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"I can confirm that everybody in DC is now armed, and a lot of our DC National Guardsmen are now also doing joint patrols with members of the police department here in DC. So their safety is, of course, top of mind," Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters.

The order comes in the wake of last week’s ambush shooting of two Guard members near the Farragut West metro station blocks away from the White House. One of them, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, later succumbed to her injuries, while the other, Andrew Wolfe, 24, is currently hospitalized. 

The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been charged with murder, assault and firearms offenses.

Wilson said more than 2,200 National Guard members from across the country are serving as part of Joint Task Force DC, with an additional 500 on the way.

Asked whether she can confirm any new National Guard deployments in additional cities, Wilson said she does not have anything to announce at this time.

"I can tell you that our mission set is critical. We are keeping American cities safe all across this country, and we are going to remain committed to that.

"These missions aren't going to stop in Chicago, in Los Angeles, in DC. We understand the urgent threat that is facing many of these cities, and the National Guard is proud to step in alongside our law enforcement partners to help with that," she said.