The makeshift tribute in front of the Farragut West Metro station bore the familiar elements of a shooting death memorial in America.
Bouquets of flowers: yellow, pink, white. Red roses arranged in the shape of a heart. A small green Christmas stocking and several teddy bears. American flags, more than a dozen.
But this one, just two blocks from the White House in the most powerful city in the world, was different.
The flowers, stuffed animals, scribbled notes and military challenge coins paid tribute to the two young West Virginia National Guard members deployed by President Donald Trump as part of his effort to combat “out of control” crime in D.C. who were shot on Wednesday, allegedly by a man who drove across the country to commit the act.
Spec. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Webster County, West Virginia, died on Thanksgiving with her parents at her bedside. Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in serious condition. At a news conference Monday, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) said a nurse asked Wolfe for a thumbs up if he could hear, and Wolfe responded. He also wiggled his toes.
“We take that as a positive sign,” Morrisey said, emphasizing caution: “I’m not here to speculate.”
As Washingtonians returned to work on a cold Monday morning following the long holiday weekend, many stopped at the memorial to read the messages, take photos on their phones and to simply absorb what had taken place.
“It’s just awful because I come here every day and I would see the National Guard every day and I made it a point to say ‘I’m happy to see you here,’ ” said Nayla Rush, who lives in Alexandria and works nearby. “I’m very sad. And I’m angry that America has become this place of divisiveness. People don’t realize how beautiful this country is.”
Thirty minutes later, Rush returned with a bouquet of flowers and placed it on the growing memorial.
Mark Carter, 54, has worked for the past 23 years on the block where the attack took place. The D.C. resident said he remembered seeing Beckstrom at the stop and that she would greet people with a smile.
“I was hoping it wasn’t her when I heard the news, but then I saw the picture,” Carter said. “She was a great person. She protected the area and I could tell she did it with her heart. She even helped people cross the street.”
Carter said his son recently joined the Coast Guard, and so he had thanked Beckstrom for her service.
Kevin Davis, 60, who works in an office mail room nearby, stopped to take photos to send to family members. “It just brings tears to my eyes,” he said. “They’re here to protect and serve us and then this happens right around the corner from the White House. How does this happen?”
The man charged with shooting the guard members, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was injured during the attack and also remains hospitalized. Lakanwal, who worked with the CIA in Afghanistan, came to the United States after the country fell to the Taliban in 2021. The Trump administration granted him asylum earlier this year.
Lakanwal could face the death penalty, a top federal prosecutor said Friday.
“I need justice for these soldiers,” Juan Antonio Hernandez Najera, 50, said quietly as he stood in front of the memorial Monday morning. The D.C. resident said he felt compelled to stop and pay his respects.
“I feel so sad.” he said, opening his arms wide in front of him. “I want to give the family a hug.”
In response to the attack, the Trump administration has ordered a crackdown on immigration, haltedall decisions related to asylum claims and paused visa issuances for Afghan nationals.
A framed photo of Beckstrom sat at the center of the memorial with an inscription reading: “The Afghan American Community is deeply saddened by the loss of Sarah Beckstrom. We stand in solidarity with her family and loved ones. Rest in Peace.”
Nearby, a large color photo of Beckstrom wearing her high school graduation cap and gown was propped up against a bouquet of lilies.
Sylvia Sandoval drives for a limousine service and was picking up guests at a nearby hotel Monday morning. She had stopped on the way to get flowers to leave at the site of the shooting.
“What can we say except I’m so sorry,” said Sandoval, 58, a mother of two from Manassas as she walked away from the memorial. “Sorry to the family, sorry for their loss. We pray for them.”
As morning flowed into afternoon, the tributes continued. Some people walked by without a glance, but many others stopped, some for just a moment and others for much longer.
In a concrete planter just feet from the photos and flowers, another reminder of the attack was visible.
The small bullet hole wasn’t part of the memorial. It was part of why the memorial for another shooting in America came to be.
Olivia George contributed to this report.
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