National Guardsman Recovering After Being Shot in Washington DC

A member of the National Guard is on the mend after he was critically injured in an ambush-style shooting last month in the US capital.

The family of the 24-year-old soldier, 24, say "his head wound is gradually improving and that he's beginning to 'look more like himself,'" said West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey.

The soldier's relatives anticipates the military non-commissioned officer to be in intensive treatment for the next two to three weeks, and they feel optimistic about his progress, according to the official's statement.

Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of two state guardsmen injured by gunfire when a shooter began shooting in proximity to the White House on 26 November. His fellow guardsmember, twenty-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!" Morrisey declared.

Morrisey was present at a candlelight gathering on last Friday night for Staff Sgt Wolfe at Musselman High School in his hometown, where the serviceman was once a student.

A pastor at the vigil shared a message 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 regional media outlets.

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

Earlier in the week, the state official said the serviceman had acknowledged medical staff with a thumbs-up and was capable of wiggle his feet.

Law enforcement have formally accused the suspected shooter, an individual from Afghanistan named Rahmanullah Lakanwal, with premeditated homicide and attempted murder.

Before coming to the US in 2021, he was once a member of a special forces unit in a paramilitary group that operated alongside US forces in Afghanistan.

The injured airman was one of 2,000 militia personnel whom the former president deployed to the nation's capitol in last summer as part of his policy initiative in Democratic-led cities.

In the aftermath of the incident, the former president said he desired an additional five hundred military personnel deployed to the District of Columbia.

The Trump administration has also referenced the shooting as a justification for additional restrictive policies.

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