Air Force Staff Sergeant Recovering After Being Shot in the Nation's Capital
A member of the National Guard is on the mend after he was gravely wounded in an ambush-style shooting last month in Washington DC.
The family of Andrew Wolfe, 24, report "his head wound is gradually improving and that he's starting to 'regain his familiar appearance,'" said West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey.
The family anticipates the Air Force staff sergeant to be in acute care for the coming fortnight, and they feel hopeful about his progress, according to the official's statement.
Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of two West Virginia National Guard members injured by gunfire when a shooter opened fire not far from the presidential residence on 26 November. His colleague, twenty-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries.
"Our request remains for all West Virginians and Americans for their prayers!" the governor said.
The governor was present at a candlelight gathering on last Friday night for the injured soldier at a local secondary school in Inwood, West Virginia, where the serviceman was once a student.
A pastor at the vigil shared a message from the soldier's parents, Jason and Melody Wolfe.
"We know that there is a long road to go," they wrote, according to regional media outlets.
"But our belief keeps us optimistic. We remain thankful for the well-wishes and the encouragement from people all over the globe."
Previously, the state official said the serviceman had acknowledged medical staff with a positive gesture and was able to wiggle his feet.
Law enforcement have formally accused the suspected shooter, an individual from Afghanistan named the suspect, with premeditated homicide and assault with intent to kill.
Prior to his arrival to the US in 2021, he was once a counterterrorism soldier in a CIA-backed unit that operated alongside US forces in the South Asian nation.
The injured airman was one of 2,000 militia personnel whom President Donald Trump dispatched to the Washington DC in August as part of his immigration and crime-related crackdown in Democratic-led cities.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Trump said he wanted another 500 National Guard troops sent to the District of Columbia.
The Trump administration has also referenced the attack as a justification for further restrictive policies.
They have cancelled all citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from a list of nations that were part of a entry restriction implemented over the recent season, including Afghanistan.
