National Guardsman Recovering After Sustaining Gunshot Wounds in the Nation's Capital
A member of the National Guard is on the mend after he was critically injured in an ambush-style shooting last month in Washington DC.
The family of Andrew Wolfe, twenty-four, report "his head wound is gradually improving and that he's beginning to 'regain his familiar appearance,'" said West Virginia Governor the governor.
The family anticipates the Air Force staff sergeant to be in intensive treatment for the next two to three weeks, and they feel hopeful about his progress, according to the official's statement.
The serviceman was one of a pair of state guardsmen shot when a shooter opened fire not far from the presidential residence on 26 November. His fellow guardsmember, twenty-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries.
"Our request remains for all state residents and the nation's citizens for their thoughts and prayers!" the governor said.
The governor attended a candlelight gathering on Friday evening for the injured soldier at Musselman High School in Inwood, West Virginia, where the guardsman was once a pupil.
A pastor at the event shared a message from the soldier's parents, Jason and Melody Wolfe.
"It is clear to us that there is a difficult journey to go," they wrote, as reported by local news outlet outlets.
"However our faith keeps us hopeful. We remain grateful for the well-wishes and the encouragement from people all over the world."
Earlier in the week, the state official said the serviceman had acknowledged medical staff with a thumbs-up and was able to wiggle his feet.
Law enforcement have formally accused the alleged gunman, an individual from Afghanistan named Rahmanullah Lakanwal, with premeditated homicide and attempted murder.
Prior to his arrival to the US in two years ago, he was once a counterterrorism soldier in a CIA-backed unit that worked with US forces in the South Asian nation.
Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of 2,000 National Guard members whom President Donald Trump deployed to the Washington DC in August as part of his policy initiative in Democratic-led cities.
Following the incident, Trump said he desired another 500 military personnel sent to the District of Columbia.
The Trump administration has also referenced the shooting as a justification for further restrictive policies.
They have halted naturalization proceedings for immigrants from 19 countries that were part of a entry restriction implemented over the summer, including the suspect's home country.