City and county leaders from the hometowns of the two National Guard members who were gravely wounded in a shooting yesterday in Washington, DC, expressed gratitude for their service and asked for prayers for the West Virginia natives.
One of the wounded, US Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, is from Summersville, West Virginia.
“This year, I ask that we all take a moment to pray for the National Guard members who were recently shot, their families, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” Summersville mayor, Robert Shafer, wrote in a post online. “Our thoughts and deepest prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time.”
The other victim, US Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, is from Martinsburg, West Virginia, which is in Berkeley County.
“Happy Thanksgiving. Our thoughts are certainly with our friends and partners at the West Virginia National Guard and all our colleagues and neighbors who know the victims of yesterday’s shooting in DC,” the City of Martinsburg posted on social media.
The president of the Berkeley County Commission asked for the community to pray.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the Cowardly act of violence taken against two of our West Virginia Guardsmen,” said Eddie Gochenour in a social media post. “At this time of Thanksgiving, we ask everyone to pray for recovery and pray for the families, including one of our own, as they go through this very difficult time.”