24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, who was shot in November 2026, has physically healed a lot and is mentally recovering from Aphasia. He is set to get a skull reconstruction or cranioplasty in March 2026.
Andrew Wolfe is a Staff Sergeant in the West Virginia National Guard who joined the service in 2019. He is now serving in the U.S. Air Force component with the 167th Force Support Squadron.
He became known across the country after a serious incident on November 26, 2026, the day before Thanksgiving, when he was on duty with the West Virginia National Guard in Washington DC.
While on patrol near Farragut Square in Washington DC as part of a deployment to help with safety in the capital, he and another guardsman, 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.
During that tragic day, a gunman named Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire near Farragut Square, close to the White House area. That’s when Andrew and Sarah got hit.
Sarah succumbed to the injuries the next day, while Andrew suffered a critical gunshot wound to the head and was airlifted to MedStar Washington Hospital Center for emergency surgery.
The shooter was taken down quickly by other National Guard members who were right there.
Andrew pulled through that first part even though everyone worried he might not make it. His family stayed by his side, and his mom, Melody, kept people updated as things went along.
Now he has come a long way, and things look much better for him.
Back in early February, his mother posted on Facebook that the family had been getting used to this new way of life over the past six weeks or so. In fact, Andrew had been working hard every day in an inpatient rehab place.
His mother, Melody, shared that physically, he healed up really well and was set to move into a residential rehab program that would last another 8 to 12 weeks. Likewise, she also shared that he is set to get a skull reconstruction or cranioplasty in March 2026, which will allow for even more independence and recovery.
The surgery helps fix the part of his skull that got damaged, so he can get even more on his own.
On the mental side, he deals with something called aphasia, which makes it tough to find the right words sometimes, even though he understands what people say to him pretty well.
His mom described it as moderate aphasia, but he has come so far already. He went from barely speaking at all to talking more, recalling things from before, and even chatting with family over FaceTime.
Some things that brought me so much hope are hearing his laugh, seeing him do things independently, and his desire to spend time with family and friends, his mother wrote.
On February 24, 2026, during the State of the Union, President Trump brought attention to what Andrew went through. He spoke about how he fought back from the very edge with God’s help on his way to a miraculous recovery.
Trump had a general from the West Virginia National Guard pin the Purple Heart on Andrews’s civilian suit while he sat up in the gallery with his mom right there.
His mother buried her head in his chest as the president talked about her belief in him when others were not so sure.
Meanwhile, Andrew is pushing forward with all the support around him. His family stays focused on the steps ahead, and they feel grateful for everyone who has helped along the way.
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