The nation watched in horror in late November when an allegedly radicalized Afghan migrant — admitted under the Biden administration’s disastrous vetting failures — opened fire on two National Guard soldiers patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C. Twenty-year-old Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia tragically died from her injuries.
Her fellow Guardsman, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition. But on Monday, doctors shared a sliver of hope: Wolfe was able to give a thumbs-up and even wiggle his toes, showing early signs of recovery as he continues to fight for his life.
The shooting sparked predictable reactions in our polarized climate. Some Democrats immediately tried to pin the blame on Trump for ordering the National Guard into the capital, while those on the Right were rightly appalled that anyone would use a terrorist attack as a political football.
But at the center of it all is a fallen young woman and a family whose world has been shattered.
On Thursday, President Trump announced that the nation would honor her sacrifice in a solemn and meaningful way: by lowering the American flag to half-staff:
The president’s proclamation said:
As a mark of respect for the memory of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, West Virginia Army National Guard, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, December 4, 2025. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
The lowering of flags has already began, which started at the White House, appropriately:
Beckstrom — “Becky” to those who loved her — enlisted in the National Guard in 2023 with hopes of one day becoming an FBI agent. In her hometown of Summersville, a community of fewer than 3,500 people, she was known as a bright, uplifting presence who greeted everyone with a smile.
To those who knew her best, she wasn’t just another young American serving her country — she was family. Her ex-boyfriend’s mother, Eva Carr, said Becky was like a daughter to her, a testament to the kind of impact she had on the people around her: “She was the sweetest girl. She was hard not to love. You loved her the minute you met her.”
We hope she rests in peace.