Air Force Staff Sergeant Recovering Following Sustaining Gunshot Wounds in Washington DC
A member of the Air National Guard is on the mend after he was gravely wounded in an ambush-style shooting last month in the US capital.
The parents of Andrew Wolfe, twenty-four, report "his head wound is gradually improving and that he's beginning to 'regain his familiar appearance,'" stated West Virginia Governor the governor.
The family anticipates the military non-commissioned officer to be in acute care for the coming fortnight, and they feel optimistic about his recovery, according to the official's statement.
The serviceman was one of a pair of state guardsmen shot when a shooter opened fire not far from the presidential residence on November 26th. His fellow guardsmember, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries.
"Our request remains for all West Virginians and the nation's citizens for their thoughts and prayers!" the governor said.
The governor attended a vigil on Friday evening for Staff Sgt Wolfe at a local secondary school in his hometown, where the guardsman was once a student.
A pastor at the vigil read a statement from the soldier's parents, Jason and Melody Wolfe.
"It is clear to us that there is a long road to go," they wrote, according to local news outlet Metro News.
"But our belief keeps us optimistic. We remain thankful for the prayers and the encouragement from people all over the globe."
Earlier in the week, the state official said the serviceman had responded to a nurse with a thumbs-up and was capable of move his toes.
Police have formally accused the alleged gunman, an individual from Afghanistan named the suspect, with premeditated homicide and assault with intent to kill.
Prior to his arrival to the US in two years ago, he was once a counterterrorism soldier in a CIA-backed unit that worked with US forces in the South Asian nation.
Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of 2,000 militia personnel whom President Donald Trump deployed to the nation's capitol in August as part of his policy initiative in urban centers.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Trump said he desired another 500 National Guard troops sent to the nation's capital.
The Trump administration has also cited the attack as a reason for further immigration crackdown measures.
They have cancelled all citizenship ceremonies for foreign nationals from a list of nations that were part of a travel ban implemented over the summer, including Afghanistan.
