No West Virginia Guard Troops Asked to Leave D.C. After Shooting, Governor Says

In the aftermath of the fatal shooting that struck two members of the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, D.C., Gov. Patrick Morrisey confirmed Friday that none of the West Virginia troops currently deployed in the capital have asked to return home.

Morrisey — one of several governors who mobilized Guard units to D.C. this summer at the request of Donald Trump — said the deployed soldiers “wanted to stay. They wanted to complete the mission and serve their state and country.”

As of Friday, about 180 West Virginia Guard members remain in D.C., part of a broader contingent of roughly 1,300 out-of-state National Guard troops dispatched to assist law enforcement under the Trump administration’s security initiative. CBS News+1

In response to the shooting — which claimed the life of 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and left 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe critically wounded — the suspect now faces first-degree murder charges. Morrisey said the death penalty should remain “on the table.” CBS News+1

Though the governor declined to commit additional West Virginia troops to a newly ordered 500-person surge to D.C., he said decisions will be made in coordination with Guard leadership as the situation evolves. CBS News+1