National Guardsman Healing After Being Shot in the Nation's Capital

A servicemember of the Air National Guard is on the mend after he was critically injured in an ambush-style shooting last month in Washington DC.

The family of the 24-year-old soldier, twenty-four, report "his head wound is gradually improving and that he's starting to 'look more like himself,'" said the state's chief executive Patrick Morrisey.

The family expects the military non-commissioned officer to be in intensive treatment for the coming fortnight, and they feel hopeful about his recovery, said the governor.

The serviceman was one of a pair of West Virginia National Guard members shot when a gunman opened fire not far from 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 Americans for their thoughts and prayers!" the governor said.

The governor attended a candlelight gathering on Friday evening for the injured soldier at a local secondary school in his hometown, where the serviceman was once a student.

A pastor at the vigil read a statement from the guardsman's mother and father, his family.

"It is clear to us that there is a long road to go," they expressed, as reported by local news outlet Metro News.

"However our belief keeps us optimistic. We remain thankful for the well-wishes and the support from people all over the globe."

Earlier in the week, the governor said Staff Sgt Wolfe had responded to a nurse with a thumbs-up and was able to move his toes.

Police have charged the alleged gunman, an individual from Afghanistan named the suspect, with premeditated homicide and assault with intent to kill.

Before coming to the United States in 2021, he was once a counterterrorism soldier in a paramilitary group that worked with US forces in the South Asian nation.

Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of 2,000 militia personnel whom the former president dispatched to the Washington DC in August as part of his immigration and crime-related crackdown in Democratic-led cities.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Trump said he desired another 500 military personnel deployed to the District of Columbia.

The former presidential office has also cited the attack as a reason for additional immigration crackdown measures.

They have halted naturalization proceedings for foreign nationals from a list of nations that were part of a travel ban implemented over the recent season, including Afghanistan.