It is yet another national tragedy in 2025 — one made all the sadder by the fact that it happened on the eve of Thanksgiving. Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old U.S. Army specialist, is not expected to recover. The condition of her colleague, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, of the U.S. Air Force, remains critical. Both of them were serving their nation in the National Guard on Wednesday when a gunman ambushed them in Washington. The country should unequivocally honor their sacrifice and grieve for their loved ones.
We also should not lose sight of the uniquely American nature of the tragedy. Ms. Beckstrom and Mr. Wolfe are the latest victims of a political violence permeating our society. At family Thanksgiving tables this year, the absences of Melissa and Mark Hortman as well as Charlie Kirk were sadly felt. It was the same for too many people whose loved ones have been killed so far in mass shootings in the United States this year, where there are more guns than in any other country.
Our knowledge of the suspect and his motives in Wednesday’s shootings remains limited. He was described by a friend as a young man troubled by mental illness, as is so often the case in similar crimes. We also have learned that he came to the United States in 2021, after the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration. He reportedly had worked alongside the American intelligence services in his country.
Vice President JD Vance immediately took to social media in the wake of the tragedy to score political points and cast aspersions on refugees from Afghanistan. In an online post, the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the Trump administration would review the immigration cases of “every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” without providing any details. The agency announced on Wednesday night that it had paused immigration applications from all Afghan nationals.
America, however, is stronger for its long tradition of welcoming immigrants. And as awful as one man’s actions apparently were, a crackdown on people here legally would be a mistake. This is especially true of any backlash against the many Afghans who worked for years alongside American troops, civil society groups, aid organizations and journalists. They abruptly found themselves in mortal danger and needed safe haven after the American withdrawal.
There will be Americans who note that this tragedy could have been averted if Ms. Beckstrom and Mr. Wolfe had not been needlessly deployed to Washington in August on the order of President Trump. No one, including the president, is responsible for this tragedy, except for its perpetrator. It should be possible to understand both that Mr. Trump’s use of the National Guard has been outrageous and that the use did not cause this shooting.
The next several days will provide more information about the attack. For now, we know it is a heartbreaking event for two families of young Americans serving their country, and we know that political violence has become alarmingly regular in the United States. All Americans should condemn that.
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