One of the two U.S. National Guard servicemen who were shot in Washington near the White House on Wednesday has died, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, according to LETA citing AFP and DPA.
"She was brutally attacked, she is dead," said Trump about 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, who was serving in the West Virginia National Guard.
The second National Guard serviceman from West Virginia, a 24-year-old man, is "fighting for his life" and is in "very critical condition," Trump added.
He described Beckstrom as "a very respected, young, wonderful person" and stated that he learned of her death shortly before a video call for Thanksgiving, during which he addressed American troops.
The only suspect in the shooting is a 29-year-old Afghan citizen, who was detained shortly after the incident. Trump called the shooting a "terrorist act."
The motives of the attacker, who lived with his wife and five children in Bellingham, Washington, remain unclear. He crossed the country to reach the U.S. capital, where he carried out the attack.
