Air Force Staff Sergeant Healing After Being Shot in Washington DC
A member of the National Guard is on the mend after he was critically injured in an targeted attack last month in Washington DC.
The family of the 24-year-old soldier, 24, say "the injury to his head is slowly healing and that he's starting to 'look more like himself,'" said the state's chief executive Patrick Morrisey.
The soldier's relatives anticipates the military non-commissioned officer to be in acute care for the coming fortnight, and they feel optimistic about his progress, according to the official's statement.
The serviceman was one of two state guardsmen shot when a shooter opened fire in proximity to 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.
Morrisey was present at a vigil on last Friday night for the injured soldier at Musselman High School in his hometown, where the serviceman was once a pupil.
A clergyman at the vigil shared a statement from the guardsman's mother and father, his family.
"We know that there is a long road to go," they expressed, as reported by local news outlet outlets.
"However our faith keeps us hopeful. We remain thankful for the well-wishes and the support from people all over the world."
Earlier in the week, the governor said the serviceman had acknowledged medical staff with a thumbs-up and was able to move his toes.
Police have formally accused the suspected shooter, an Afghan national named Rahmanullah Lakanwal, with first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Prior to his arrival to the United States in two years ago, he was once a member of a special forces unit in a paramilitary group that operated alongside American troops in Afghanistan.
The injured airman was one of 2,000 National Guard members whom the former president deployed to the nation's capitol in August as part of his immigration and crime-related crackdown in Democratic-led cities.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the former president said he wanted another 500 National Guard troops deployed to the nation's capital.
The former presidential office has also referenced the attack as a reason for further immigration crackdown measures.
They have cancelled all citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from a list of nations that were part of a travel ban announced over the summer, including Afghanistan.
