Support continues to build in West Virginia as friends, family, and former classmates wait for encouraging news on Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, the National Guard member who survived a deadly ambush in Washington late last month.
According to the New York Post, Gov. Patrick Morrisey released a statement Friday after speaking with Wolfe’s parents, who said their son’s head injury is slowly healing and that “he’s beginning to ‘look more like himself.’”
The update marked one of the first signs of progress since the Nov. 26 attack.
Wolfe and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom were patrolling a subway station just three blocks from the White House when they were suddenly fired upon. Beckstrom died the following day from her injuries.
Authorities charged 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who was also shot during the confrontation, with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
Morrisey urged residents to continue offering prayers for Wolfe as he undergoes treatment.
Back home in Berkeley County, the community prepared to gather Friday night for a vigil at Musselman High School, Wolfe’s alma mater. The event was organized to honor him, support his family and remember Beckstrom.
Wolfe, 24, grew up in Martinsburg, about 75 miles northwest of the nation’s capital. He serves with the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard.
Outside of his military duties, he has been employed as a lineman with Frontier Communications since early 2023.
His connection to Musselman High School remains strong. Principal Alicia Riggleman described Wolfe as an involved and determined student “who embodied the Applemen spirit, contributing positively to our school community both academically and athletically.”
Both Wolfe and Beckstrom were among more than 2,000 troops deployed to Washington as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting initiative, which placed federal personnel in charge of the city’s police operations.
As Wolfe continues his recovery, officials, classmates and families in West Virginia say they are focused on one thing: making sure he knows he is not facing that journey alone.
