Air Force Staff Sergeant 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 targeted attack last month in Washington DC.

The family of Andrew Wolfe, 24, say "his head wound is slowly healing and that he's beginning to 'regain his familiar appearance,'" stated the state's chief executive Patrick Morrisey.

The family expects the Air Force staff sergeant to be in intensive treatment for the next two to three weeks, and they feel optimistic about his recovery, said the governor.

Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of two state guardsmen shot when a gunman began shooting not far from the presidential residence on 26 November. His colleague, 20-year-old his counterpart, succumbed to her wounds.

"Our request remains for all state residents and Americans for their prayers!" the governor said.

The governor was present at a vigil on last Friday night for the injured soldier at a local secondary school in his hometown, where the guardsman was once a student.

A pastor at the vigil read a message from the guardsman's mother and father, Jason and Melody Wolfe.

"It is clear to us that there is a long road to go," they wrote, as reported by regional media outlets.

"However our faith keeps us optimistic. We remain grateful for the prayers and the encouragement from people all over the world."

Previously, the state official said Staff Sgt Wolfe had acknowledged medical staff with a positive gesture and was able to wiggle his feet.

Law enforcement have charged the suspected shooter, an individual from Afghanistan named Rahmanullah Lakanwal, with first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill.

Prior to his arrival to the United States in 2021, he was once a member of a special forces unit in a paramilitary group that worked with American troops in the South Asian nation.

Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of 2,000 National Guard members whom President Donald Trump dispatched to the Washington DC in last summer as part of his policy initiative in urban centers.

Following the incident, Trump said he wanted another 500 military personnel sent to the nation's capital.

The former presidential office has also cited the shooting as a reason for additional restrictive policies.

They have halted naturalization proceedings for immigrants from a list of nations that were part of a entry restriction implemented over the recent season, including Afghanistan.