Talkline| Nov. 28, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Good Morning. A special edition of Metro News talk Line
starts now.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Radio turned off from the studios of w v r
C Media and the Metro News Radio and Television Network,
The Voice of West Virginia comes the most powerful show
in West Virginia. This it's Metro News talk Line with
Dave Wilson and DJ Meadows.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Activated Switch network. Can you from Charles.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
Stand by to David DJ?

Speaker 5 (00:54):
You're on.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Metro News talk Line is pre centered by Incova Insurance,
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Visit incova dot com to learn more. Good morning and
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm TJ Meadows. Dave Wilson is on vacation.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Jeff Jenkins joins us momentarily from our Morgantown studios, as
will statewide correspondent Brad McIlhenny. We continue to follow the
latest after two West Virginia National Guard members were shot
yesterday in DC and what President Trump has called an
act of terror. Janeine Piro, US attorney for DC, alongside
Cash Patel, held a media briefing last hour. Her comments

(01:36):
from that briefing.

Speaker 6 (01:37):
Now, these are dedicated.

Speaker 7 (01:38):
These are service members who were performing their duties. In
service to our nation, and they are currently in critical condition.
They have undergone surgery. We pray for their well being
as they continue to be cared for in the best
possible way. We have been in constant contact with their
families and have provided them with every resource needed during

(02:02):
this difficult time. The two National guards Men that were
talking about are Sarah Bestrom who's twenty years old, and
Andrew Wolfe, who is twenty four years old. They were
uniform members of the West Virginia National Guard and they
were in DC to keep DC safe, pursuing to President

(02:24):
Trump's executive order to make DC Safe and Beautiful. They
answered the call, they took the charge, They volunteered. They
put their lives on the line for people they don't
even know. Yesterday and Thanksgiving Eve, at approximately two point
fifteen near seventeenth in I Streets in the northwest section

(02:47):
of the district, near the Farragut West Metro Station, two
uniformed guardsmen were ambushed in a brazen and targeted attack.
A lone gunman o open fire without provocation ambush style,
armed with a three point fifty seven Smith and Wesson revolver.

(03:09):
One guardsman is struck goes down, and then the shooter
leans over and strikes the guardsman again. Another guardsman is
struck several times. Fellow guardsmen who were there responded, immediately
engaging the suspect, neutralizing the threat and subduing.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Him at the scene.

Speaker 7 (03:32):
He was transported to a local hospital where he remains
as we speak, under heavy guard. No additional victims were harmed,
and the scene was secured within minutes. The suspect he
has been identified as Ramanulla Lechenwaal, a twenty nine year
old Afghan who entered the United States under Biden's Operation

(03:56):
Allies Welcome a program following the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He resided in Bellingham, Washington with his wife and we
believe five children, and we're working very closely with our
federal partners, especially DHS and the FBI to review his

(04:19):
immigration history and the vetting process itself.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Janine Piro there, US attorney for Washington DC. It's bringing
Jeff Jenkins. Brad mclelheney, our statewide correspondent. Brad, you've been
following this story since it broke yesterday. Bring us up
to speed with your reporting.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
What do you have so far well?

Speaker 8 (04:39):
You know, I think the breaking news is these identities
of the National Guard members. It has been tragic, without
a doubt, but to put names to those victims certainly
further humanizes them again if people missed it. Twenty year
old Sarah Beckstrom working to figure out what community she

(05:01):
may be from, but certainly associated with West Virginia through
the National Guard. And Andrew Wolf twenty four, who appears
to have been a Musselman High School graduate in Berkeley County.
Musselman High School, put up a post yesterday evening expressing
deep concern about his well being, calling him, you know,

(05:25):
to use the mascot an Appleman forever and ever. So
it's I think those are the main things. Then, furthermore,
the description of the shooter big, some inklings of whatever
the intent was hard to fathom, and unfortunately a description

(05:46):
of the way that the shootings went down. Governor Morrissey
is in Washington, d C. As of this morning, checking
in as best he can on the victims. We are
told that he has met with at least one of
the families and intends to meet with both, and that
his attention will be with those victims throughout the day.

Speaker 9 (06:07):
Brad, you have worked on this Guard deployment right from
the beginning, right from August when Governor Morrissey volunteered the
West Virginia Guard, and there had been a change in
status of that just recently.

Speaker 8 (06:19):
Right well, there were three hundred to four hundred Guard
members called up when the emergency in DC was first
declared in August. The emergency officially lapsed in the middle
of September, but those three hundred and four hundred Guard
members from West Virginia remained and joined counterparts from the

(06:41):
District of Columbia other states like South Carolina and Georgia,
and had established a presence, particularly the metro public transportation
stops the parks. Had essentially just been establishing that kind
of presence in DC. It was not particularly confrontational duty.

(07:05):
There has been, of course, a question about how long
they should remain and the legal status of deploying them
in this way. Within the last couple of weeks, the
National Guard and Governor Morrissey announced the deployment itself was
going to be scaled back and that it was only
going to be volunteers from here on now. That was
described as about one hundred and sixty and that the

(07:29):
rest of the West Virginia Guard members who had initially
been deployed to Washington, d C would be called home.
So that's been roughly the numbers have been half in
the last couple of weeks of what they were, and
we did.

Speaker 9 (07:43):
Hear during the news content will work to confirm this,
but the US attorney for DC was right at the end.
She was asked about how long they had been there
and these two Guard members from West Virginia, and she
commented that they were sworn in and I'm working I'm
assuming they're mate for duty in DC, she said, in
less than less than twenty four hours from when they

(08:03):
were shot, and that more of that will come out,
but it's possible. It sounds like that this is you know,
these these were members who had just kind of volunteered
for that duty.

Speaker 8 (08:14):
Yeah, and you know, I don't know. I haven't gotten
to the bottom of that yet, but I think a
couple of factors may be the voluntary status of these
West Virginia National Guard members and the fact that it's
the holidays. This happened the evening before Thanksgiving, and there
might have been some rotation in and out. It's tragic
either way, but it is their ages and the fact

(08:38):
that it sounds like they just arrived on the scene,
had barely been there. It adds to the tragedy.

Speaker 1 (08:45):
Brad, what do we know about the suspect at this point?

Speaker 8 (08:50):
It sounds like an Ascan national who had were learning
this is more national reporting. This is hard for us
to do as West Virginians. But the reporting seems to
be that he had cooperated with the American military in
Afghanistan and therefore was part of the relocation program to

(09:13):
the United States after that war came to a close
after twenty years had been living in Washington. The US
Attorney for the District of Columbia, Janeane Piro, did say
during that news conference that he had a family, a
wife and multiple children, but that he had come to Washington,

(09:36):
d C. Specifically and she let that linger. But it
sounded like followed through on whatever his intent of traveling was.
And you know, we know that the end result was
the tragic shooting of two West Virginia National Guard.

Speaker 1 (09:50):
Members and Jeff That suspect identified as twenty nine year
old Ramanula Locket Wall Pierro sharing some tidbits of information
here talking about the fact that the weapon revolve used
rather was a Revolver, a three point fifty seven Smith
and Wesson a six shooter as she referred to a

(10:12):
cash Betel, saying an investigation of terrorism, confirming that the
firearm had been taken to Quantico. Multiple search warrants have
been pursued across the country. And Jeff, to Brad's point,
this is this suspect driving from Washington, driving across the
state in what appeared to be an ambush. Other things

(10:33):
that pierro Ptel said that stood out to you, Jeff,
as you listened to the conference this morning.

Speaker 9 (10:37):
Well, they're checking any communication he had with anyone. They
mentioned San Diego, so they said they went right to
his house in Washington, got search warrants, searching information. They said,
information that they got from my phone there led them
to San Diego overnight. So they've been the authorities have

(10:58):
been in the San Diego So we don't know if
he acted alone here, if there are other people involved.
You know, that's some of the things obviously that they
are that they are researching, in investigating to find out.
So that and she said numbers of times, and you know,
hoping and praying that these two guard members will be

(11:22):
able to survive this, but she also said that this
will be a death penalty case if tragically one or
both of them do not survive again.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
The National guardsman identified Jennine Piniro doing that this morning
in the press conference. Twenty year old Sarah Backstrom Twenty
year old Sarah Backstrom, as Brad noted, still working to
identify where in the state she is from, alongside Andrew Wolfe,
twenty four years old, a graduate of Musselman High School
in the Eastern Panhandle. Brad, assuming we can get the

(11:54):
latest reporting wv metronews dot com, I think you're working
on a story in an update now correct.

Speaker 8 (12:01):
A story you know, leading with the identities of these
victims revealed this morning. And you know, certainly in West
Virginia communities, so many people know so many others. There
are going to be all kinds of connections, and it
is such a day where people are, you know, deeply
invested in their families and their relationships and what they

(12:21):
are thankful for, so that that is the lead of
the story at this point. Sarah bexterm twenty and Andrew
wolf twenty four, All West Virginians are thinking of them
right now, and praying for their well being.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
We'll take the break when we come back. Retired Adjuct
General the West Virginia National Guard Jim Hoyer joins us
that as this special edition of Metro News talk Line continues.

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Speaker 1 (16:17):
Talkline on Metro News TJ. Meadows Jeff Jenkins from our
Morgantown studios. Of course, following yesterday's story of those two
National guardsmen now identified as twenty year old Sarah Beckstrom
and twenty four year old Andrew Wolfe, retired Adjudant General
at the West Virginia National Guard. Jim Hoyer joins us

(16:37):
on talkline. General, Good morning, I wish we weren't talking
this morning, sir. I'm sure you have the same sentiment.

Speaker 5 (16:43):
Good morning, TJ. I agree, I wish we were not
here this morning talking about this subject.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
Let's start with your top line thoughts on this incidents,
what's on your mind?

Speaker 5 (16:56):
So number one thing that comes to mind is we,
as West Virginia, which we're always good at doing, come
together and put our thoughts in prayers with Andrew, with Sarah,
with their families and their fellow guardsmen, because this is
affecting all those folks, and we spend part of our

(17:21):
day today, you know, praying that Andrew and Sarah, twenty
and twenty four year old who volunteered to be members
of the National Guard to make a difference, to be
a part of something bigger than themselves.

Speaker 18 (17:38):
Are are fighting for.

Speaker 5 (17:42):
Their their health and future right now.

Speaker 9 (17:45):
General, you of course in the Guard for your career
and leading the Guard for many years in West Virginia.
And what a couple of things stand out here. One
is the youth of the Guard, you know, the youth
of these members. And we know this, I mean, we
know this in the back of our minds, that these
are young people and that's what you've worked with all
these years. But that just really hits you twenty four and.

Speaker 15 (18:07):
Twenty oh absolutely.

Speaker 5 (18:09):
And you know, my wife and I not only served
the Guard from a leadership standpoint, but we had two
sons who served in the Guard. And they're all your kids,
no matter how old they are. But these are two
young people. Again. You join the Guard as a volunteer,

(18:34):
you do it for a lot of different reasons. There
are things, but the bottom line I found out of
every guardsman that I ever served with, that I ever met,
is there's this underlying desire to be a part of
something bigger than yourself and make a difference. And I

(18:55):
think the other thing that we need to think about
today and both pray for and be thankful for is
the other guardsmen who jumped in quickly, the DC first
responders and law enforcement who jumped in and rendered first aid.

(19:16):
So that we're talking about Andrew and Sarah being in
you know, in the hospital now, so that that's another
piece that we've got to be thankful for the guardsmen,
for first responders, law enforcement, for those doctors and nurses,
and everybody that gives up something to make the world

(19:41):
a little bit safer and better for everybody else.

Speaker 1 (19:45):
General Hillier, I want you as best you can. Obviously
you weren't there, but based on your experience, give us
an idea. It's my understanding. We've heard this attack described
as an ambush. It's my understanding that the guard was
working at least two pair teams. Give us your thoughts
on what was happening, what they were doing, were they patrolling,
What's what's your best inclination into terms of what they

(20:07):
were happy, what they were undertaking. I guess I should
say just prior to this event.

Speaker 5 (20:11):
Yeah, and and TJ I I don't have a whole
lot of information and have involved in that specific piece
of it, but what I do know is they were
they were given a set of task and assignments and
they as guardsmen, were carrying those out and UH doing
their mission to to the best of their ability, and

(20:35):
and this situation arose and UH it's exceptionally unfortunate what
has happened. And again I think about UH then and
all the members of the Guard that this has now
impacted going.

Speaker 9 (20:55):
Forward in general. I know it. It just emphasized is
the point that you know these are you know, we
live in peacetime so to speak at times, but you
know these are such dangerous. Danger is literally lurking right
around the corner. And that and this and this points
that out again.

Speaker 5 (21:15):
Yeah, and Jeff and you and I talked about this
before you put that uniform on, whether it's a military member,
first responder, law enforcement, every day brings a potential opportunity
for something to happen. And it could be in training,

(21:36):
it could be in an overseas deployment, it could be
in a support mission in Washington, d c. H. Every
day is a challenge and uh, and we need to
understand that. And I think it's important for our listeners
to remember this, less than one percent of the population

(21:58):
of this country, whereas military uniform, a very small percentage
of this population serve as first responders and law enforcement,
and a very small percent serve in that medical community,
particularly that emergency medical side of things like my wife
came from. And we owe those people so much. Just

(22:22):
you know, that small percentage of the population every day
is allowing the rest of the country to go on,
and it's it's unfortunate sometimes that it takes an incident
like this to bring that back in the focus.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
General, give me thirty seconds on the president's comments he
wants five hundred more troops in DC based on what
has happened. Your reaction to that, sir.

Speaker 5 (22:52):
Yeah, And again, from my perspective, I don't know the
status and the situation where that mission sits right now,
but I think that what we've got to do is
focus on Andrew and Sarah and what they need in

(23:13):
the way of support their families, and wrap around those
families and then let folks work out what needs to
be the mission set going forward. So right now, I
think from a leadership standpoint, from a state standpoint, we've
got to focus around those two young people and their families,

(23:34):
and then let folks figure out how to balance that
mission out and do what needs to be done going forward.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
General, thank you for your time. We appreciated a happy
thanksgiving to you, sir.

Speaker 18 (23:45):
All right, thank you.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
When we come back US Senator Shelley Moore Capitol, we'll
talk with her several things we want to get into
based on what we learned this morning from the press conference.
She's coming up next talk line on Metro News Voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 19 (24:05):
West Virginia Metro News, I'm us. Senator Shelley Moore Capito
expressed her concerns about the incident in Washington, DC that
left two West Virginia National Guard members in critical condition Wednesday.
Capital from her parents on TWALX News Wednesday evening.

Speaker 20 (24:21):
But they were targeted. They're peacekeepers. They were sent to
Washington or the call of duty to help maintain the
peace in our nation's capital, which from the last report
you can see the statistics are down, and yet someone
targeted them shot them.

Speaker 19 (24:36):
Capitol also said the members were trying to do the
job they were brought in for.

Speaker 20 (24:39):
It's our capital city. We wanted to be safe. We
have families and children and dignitaries every day in Washington
and it should be a source of pride that it's
safe and it has been safer because of the great
service of people like our National Guard.

Speaker 19 (24:53):
National Guard members were deployed as support after President Donald
Trump declared a crime emergency in the nation's capital in August.
From the Metro News anchor desk, I'm Morgan Pemberton, you
guys just didn't want.

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On the car ride home, all.

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That is enough.

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Speaker 16 (27:01):
Last Hello.

Speaker 1 (27:29):
Talk line on Metro News three h four Talk three
oh four if you'd like to add your thoughts today
a somber raw edition of Metro News talk Line. Of course,
those two West Virginia guardsmen identified as twenty year old
Sarah Backstrom twenty four year old Andrew Wolf Jeff Jenkins
joins me from our Morgantown studios, as well as US

(27:50):
Senator Shelley Moore Capito Senator. Sometimes you just don't know
what to say. You just don't know what to.

Speaker 25 (27:56):
Say, and you know that's so true. And I thought,
I thought General Hoyer was really very good in framing
how meaningful this is to so many families and all
of us really, and you know it's for me. I
got up this morning after kind of tossing and turn
all night, and you know, this is a day when
we all laugh about how much we eat, and you know,

(28:18):
get in fights at the Thanksgiving dinner table and all
these kinds of things that honestly, I've just sort of
really lost my appetite. My stomach hurts. For these families
and for all of us. It's just the violence is
just excruciating on everybody, and I'm just praying for them.
I saw that a friend of Andrew's mother had posted

(28:41):
something about him. You guys might have picked it up
that it had surgery last night, and so he's out
of surgery. So that's that's good, at least for the
time being. But so there are some updates out there
as to his condition.

Speaker 9 (28:54):
Senator, we're talking about you know kids here who you
know went into the National Guard. We're seeing they don't
have this fully confirmed, but looks like Sarah's from Webster County.
So you have a young lady from Webster County, a
young guy from Berkeley County who volunteered, obviously and to
serve their country and then the tragedy hits right.

Speaker 25 (29:18):
And I mean, I think, you know, when you think
about Webster Springs, you think about how tight it knit
that community. It's a small community. Everybody knows Sarah and
her family. I mean, that's just who we are as
West Virginians. And the same with Andrew. One of the
young men who works for me in Washington went to
high school with him and said what a great guy
he is. And and so we're all interconnected here, and

(29:41):
I think that's why we are so forcefully trying to
offer our prayers and our support to families and to
the guard And I think it really it's stunning to
realize that the danger that, you know, just a targeted
attack such as this. I mean, I'm now here. The
guy drove all the way, he has five kids, supposedly

(30:03):
drives all the way to Washington. I mean, what is that?

Speaker 1 (30:08):
I mean, is it?

Speaker 25 (30:09):
You know, it's got to be a terrorist, terrorist motivated
attack in my view, But all that will come out.
It's just right now, I think the focus should be
on our two guardsmen.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
Senator, I do want to continue to focus on the
two guardsmen. I also want to respectfully try to get
toward the why of this, because we all have questions.
Cash Battel this morning from the podium, he did not
mince words. He said that this was plain and simple,
a Biden failure to vet letting this Afghan national and
whatever mechanism he came in on. There's reports that he

(30:43):
worked with the CIA. I'm not sure what role that
undertook and what he did during the Afghan war. But
again Cash Ptel, mincing no words. When you hear that
from the FBI director and you hear what has happened here,
I'm wondering what goes through your well.

Speaker 25 (31:01):
I was reflecting back on some of the occurrences when
when the and it was a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,
We in Congress had an Accountability Act that I voted
for and and pushed that would, uh would make sure
that vetting was done, that would make sure that all
the channels were so we just wouldn't have an on

(31:21):
rush of people that not knowing who and how they were.
This individual appears as though had been vetted through the
CIA and working in conjunction. I don't think, uh, you
know so that that is another issue. Here's what I'm
really not interested in today on a day of Thanksgiving.
I'm not interested in the politics of the why. I

(31:44):
feel like we'll get to all of that eventually. I
just think that we're better served to protect the ones
that are are are still volunteering for the mission, thanking
the ones who came to their rescue so quickly, Uh
prank them, and then we can look at how the
vetting of this individual was how does that impact others

(32:08):
fallacy in twenty twenty one? Was it the Biden policies?
These are questions what we will get answered, But for
right now, I mean, I just feel like it's just
so tender that that we should The politics of it
can go for another day.

Speaker 9 (32:26):
US Senator Sheltimore Capito joined us here on a special
edition of talk Line on this Thanksgiving Day. Senator, you're
very familiar with Washington d C. I am, give give
me an idea, give us an idea of because you've
seen the images, you know, you know exactly where this is.
So give me just yeah, just describe this, give me,
just give me an.

Speaker 25 (32:44):
A Square is a major metro station, very busy part
and particularly two o'clock in the afternoon, very busy part
of DC. They're shopping around, many offices, restaurants, lots of tourists, busy,
busy place. And what I've seen from the guard presence,
I've seen them sort of out walking around around the

(33:06):
mall and usually in pairs or maybe sometimes four, And
I've stopped and talked to a lot of them, and
you know, they're not really confronting anybody, there's no aggression.
They're basically just a presence to to show that you know,
they're there in support of the Metropolitan Police and in
the city of DC. And and so that's probably what

(33:27):
this was. They were probably and they do stand outside
of Union Station and Metro stations, just kind of observing
and and and being there. And that sounds like that's
exactly what this was. So I imagine there's probably an
I don't know, three or four of them out there
just watching and in a very calm fashion. It sounds
like a guy just came around the corner and started

(33:48):
shooting at them. So, you know, lots of people around
Farragut Square. It's only a short distance from the White
House and at may be the closest station to the
White House. I'm not quite as familiar with that part
of it. But it is a busy section of town.

Speaker 1 (34:03):
Talk to us about the importance of the mission. I
listened to you a bit last night and some of
your comments you talked about your onboard with the mission.
Talk about that mission and why it is important I am.

Speaker 25 (34:14):
I think I talked with you all before when when
this first was initiated by the President, the nation's capital
filled with crime, violent crime. I mentioned that four of
my staff members, four and these are young people, had
been assaulted in Washington, d C. Over the last several years.

(34:34):
And you know, troubling to see that the Metropolitan Police
were unable to or haven't been disrupting the violent crime
aspects of DC. And so I think the President, in
in his goal of securing and making our capital city safe,
is one that was It is a good mission, and

(34:58):
I think these guardsmen volunteered. After November when many of
them came home, these volunteered. You could see as immediately
when I heard it was two guardsmens from West Virginia,
all I could think of was, I bet they're very young,
because a single young guardsman would be the one that
would volunteer to forego their Thanksgiving. I mean, that would
just be a selfless act for a young person to do,

(35:20):
wants to serve, and so I do. I have seen
a difference in DC. I have seen a difference in
the safety aspects of it, and so I think it's
I agree with the mission. These folks were not provoking,
they were not. All they were doing was keeping the peace,
aiding the Metropolitan Police so that they could go to
the more crime ridden areas to hopefully disrupt. And you've

(35:45):
seen the statistics successfully murders down, assaults down, violent crimes
down over the last several months. You know, DC's filled
with tourists, dignitaries, people working in and out all day,
a safe city.

Speaker 1 (36:03):
As I thought about this yesterday, and Senator, I may
fumble this a little bit, so I know you'll give
me some grace and our listeners will give me some grace.
As I thought about this, if I'm honest, you know,
we have such a presence in DC, and you hope,
oh my goodness, I hope it's not a West Virginian.
And then as the news came out, part of my

(36:23):
thinking turned two. Why am I not surprised, because that's
what West Virginians do. They answer the call to duty.
I don't know how to reconcile that. I don't know
how to reconcile that. But that's what was going through
my mind.

Speaker 25 (36:36):
You're really expressing TJ exactly the way I felt. When
I first heard it, I went.

Speaker 16 (36:41):
Oh no.

Speaker 25 (36:42):
I mean, you would say oh no for anybody. But
then it gets deeper and closer to home, and I
think that's how I felt as well. But then when
I heard that the surrounding guardsmen and the police that
were close by just closed in. I heard that there
was some CPR administered on site. This is what West

(37:04):
Virginians do. We always rise to the measure, to the
measure of what the event is. And uh, and we
pulled together and we're not afraid.

Speaker 26 (37:12):
Uh.

Speaker 25 (37:13):
They weren't afraid and and you know that's a frightening situation,
but they weren't afraid to do what they've been trained
to do. And I think that's not just a key
to the guard but I think it's a it's a
key part of who West Virginians are. And and so
from that aspect of it, I feel the same way
you do. It's it's uh, it's it's just really tough.
And and I had run into several West Virginians just

(37:36):
on the street or over at Union Station and engaged
with them a couple of times because so I knew
we had a pretty large presence helping, helping the Metropolitan
Police and the DC Guard.

Speaker 9 (37:46):
Santra, the Capitol Fanmily will be gathering around the table
here in a few hours as many as West Virginians
will do. And I'm sure you would say, let's say
a prayer for both Sarah and Andrew here today as
part of our prayer. Is it Thanksgiving?

Speaker 25 (38:01):
I echo that I will have been saying that the
prayers and will continue to do that in the Capitol
family will will join that and hopefully Sarah and Andrew
can can recover from this. I know they're very deep
wounds and their families have just we want to keep
them in their prayer, their prayers, and the Guard family too.

(38:22):
This is very traumatic for everybody.

Speaker 9 (38:25):
Thanks a lot, Senator, appreciate the time. All right, you
and Sandra Slley Moore Capito joining us here TJ on
a special edition of talk Line Today.

Speaker 1 (38:34):
That's right, Jeff, and coming up, we're going to talk
with the West Virginia Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for this state
a Colonel McConkey. He joins us. Coming up next after
the break again special edition of talk Line continues after.

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Speaker 1 (42:18):
Colonel Josh McConkie is the Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer for
West Virginia. He's also the author of be the Wait
Behind the Spear. He joins us on Metro News talk
Line this morning. Colonel, good morning, thank you.

Speaker 32 (42:33):
It's a very somber Thanksgiving for a lot of West
Virginia families, so thank you.

Speaker 15 (42:38):
Colonel.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
A question I'm starting with with everyone today. Your top
line thoughts on this is as you saw it unfold yesterday,
your reactions and your thoughts.

Speaker 32 (42:47):
So I'm a prior guardsman. I serve now in the
Air Force Reserves, but I spent nine years in the
Army National Guard. A lot of those individuals that volunteer,
they take that time away from their family, and then
you find out how young they were, and they were
literally on the ground there less than twenty four hours.
It just rips your heart out. While most of the

(43:08):
country is, you know, sitting around watching the Macy's Day
Thanksgiving parade, we have two families that are in hospital
rooms just praying that you know, their children make it
through this, so you know, definitely those hearts and prayers
go out.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
I'm curious, given your role in emergency preparedness as a
liaison officer, I think he would be in a unique
position to tell us what these guardsmen need right now,
what their families need. West Virginians. We want to help.
I'm sure many would feel helpless ideas on what we
can do with anything to help right now.

Speaker 26 (43:42):
You know.

Speaker 32 (43:42):
So when I talk about being the weight behind the
spear in your community, you know, getting out there, and
everyone has a different set of skills, but getting out
and volunteering, coaching, teaching, being part of your community, that
really embodies their legacy, you know. And certainly they you know,
we don't know if they are going to survive that

(44:02):
we hope that they do. They're still in critical condition.
I'm an emergency physician as well, so I know very
well how dangerous some of those injuries can be. And
you know, everyone is just waiting on bated breath and
putting those prayers out this Thanksgiving, but being part of
your community and just helping build the future leaders of
this country and those types of things go a long way.
And that's what these these individuals were. When you talk

(44:25):
about Andrew and Sarah, they were to wait behind the
spear in their community, and they volunteered and served, and
this is just a terrible tragedy.

Speaker 9 (44:32):
Colonel described to me and you mentioned your medical background
that obviously being shot with a three point fifty seven revolver,
how important at close range, how important those first few
minutes were, and the guard and emergency personnel that we're
able to respond almost immediately.

Speaker 32 (44:52):
It seems, well, that's something that hasn't been talked about
a lot, but really should be. Every member that deployees
gets tactical co that casualty care and they work on
stopping the bleeding. When you have a high caliber handgun,
a three point fifty seven, those are some pretty devastating injuries.
And that they had those individuals trained on scene immediately

(45:13):
to administer that care. There were some reports that there
was some life support, some CPR that was given, and
that both members are still actually alive is a small
miracle in and of itself. I did see one report
that there was a head injury. You know, they both
underwent trauma surgery, you know, yesterday and you know time

(45:34):
will tell, but that those first platinum minutes, they talk
about a golden hour and platinum minutes, but that care
that was administered right on scene is what saved their life.

Speaker 9 (45:43):
Santra Capito also mentioned this colonel that and we don't
know all the ins and outs of this, and you
mentioned it because it was mentioned in the news conference.
Have been there less than twenty four hours. Young people
you know probably you know, maybe volunteer for the holidays
where maybe some guard members and bit into this, but
you know, some guard members with family maybe could be
home with their family.

Speaker 32 (46:05):
That's exactly what was happening. So when you have some
of these young individuals, they haven't you don't have those children.
They know how important these are to families with children,
and they volunteered. I mean, they were literally there less
than twenty four hours so that two other members could
spend those holidays with their family or that ultimate sacrifice.
And man, it's still I know a lot of other

(46:26):
West Virginior Guard members are in shock, and you know,
when you heard those news reports, just it's just terrible.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
As we think about what Sarah and Andrew are going through.
You talked about head injuries, you talked about those first
critical minutes of first responder care with your experience walk
us through. We know they're out of surgery. I would
think those the first twenty four or forty eight hours
are really crucial to that recovery process as well.

Speaker 32 (46:52):
Yeah, and in those initial twenty four hours typically you
know a lot of blood loss and with those head injuries,
you know, those are just devastating. So you know, even
if it is survivable there, there's certainly a lot of
obstacles to overcome after that. So you know, time will tell,
will know here over the next forty eight hours what
that prognosis will likely be, and then just that first week,

(47:16):
so we certainly just hope and pray that they you know,
get past those points and then we'll have some more defined,
you know, diagnostics, and.

Speaker 15 (47:25):
Yeah, long way to go, long way to go.

Speaker 1 (47:29):
And I'm reminded to of all of the other not
just West Virginia gardsmen, but all of the other guardsmen
that are back on the job in DC today. I mean,
what a toll on them if you think about that,
having their brother and sister in the hospital as they're
back out on the job doing what they do.

Speaker 32 (47:44):
Yeah, there's nearly twenty one hundred guard members that are
there making DC safe, you know, helping police and local
authorities do their jobs, freeing them up to deal with
some of those violent crime issues. And you saw the
results of how everything has dropped quite precipitously. We talk
about violent crimes, murders, carjackings, you know, armed burglary, all

(48:06):
of those are way down. So it's clearly been successful.
They are accomplishing their mission. They should take great pride
in that. And they all knew that there were some
risks to that. But you never expect to be shot
on home soil.

Speaker 26 (48:20):
You know.

Speaker 32 (48:20):
I've deployed to combat zones and been overseas, and when
we see something like this happen at home, that's not
supposed to happen.

Speaker 1 (48:28):
Colonel josh Monconkey, I appreciate you joining us. Thanks so
much for giving us a little bit of time on
this Thanksgiving day. We appreciate your insights, sir, and I
know you're praying for the victims. We're praying for the victims,
and we'll follow up soon.

Speaker 32 (48:40):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 16 (48:41):
I have a safe Thanksgiving and you as well.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
More coming up a few techts perhaps gets more sound
from that press conference when talk line continues.

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Speaker 1 (52:11):
Talk line on Metro News TJ Meadows with you Jeff
Jenkins co hosting with me today from our Morgantown studios. Jeff,
the twenty nine year old Afghan man identified by officials
as the gunman New York Times reporting he did in
fact work with the CIA units, entered the United States
in twenty twenty one, living in Washington State with his
family and of course two wounded West Virginia National Guardsmen

(52:32):
who we now know the identity of Jeff.

Speaker 9 (52:36):
Yeah, I mean, that's where we're starting now to find
a lot more information about him, hopefully, And you know
when he you how's he came into the country, what's
the San Diego thing? What motivated him to drive across
the country to commit this at this time, and all
of that obviously will be coming out in the next

(52:57):
day or so well.

Speaker 1 (52:58):
As we go on here, he is hospitalized under heavy guard.
According to the US Attorney in Washington, d C. Jane Patiro, again,
that twenty nine year old Afghan national hospitalized as well
and under heavy guard. Victims identified as twenty year old
Sarah Bergstrom and Jeff. We're working to confirm, but it's

(53:19):
out there that she's from Webster Springs correct or Webster County.

Speaker 9 (53:22):
Yeah, it looks like she went to Webster County High School.

Speaker 32 (53:24):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (53:24):
And then also twenty four year old Andrew Wolfe, who
resides in the Panhandle Berkeley County, a muscleman graduates. Coming up,
we'll talk with Brian Abraham, chief of staff for Senator Justice.
That's as Metro News talk Line continues on the Voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 15 (53:52):
Sinister TJ.

Speaker 1 (53:54):
I'm honesty, thought about your born strategic I don't know
that that. No, I can't prove.

Speaker 2 (53:59):
I don't know.

Speaker 15 (54:01):
All right, we'll see if she's so tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (54:03):
Is that your alter ego, Sinister Tjing, No, my alter
ego is MJ.

Speaker 15 (54:07):
Tito's.

Speaker 30 (54:07):
You don't want to meet him, all right, let's get
out of here.

Speaker 6 (54:14):
And I never will forget this. We went down there,
and I've been around TV stations and the court title
was already in radio at that point by you know,
two or three years. But we went and watched them
do the six o'clock News Live, and anchor person was
a guy named Nick Miller, and I don't think he
lasted in the market very long, very talented guy. I
just he just went on somewhere else and we're standing there,
you know, watching them, do you know the news and

(54:36):
sports and weather and everything, and he says, you know,
that's our broadcast. We'll see tonight at eleven CBS News
is next. Good night everyone, And then you know, you
hear the director in the camera all right, we're clear,
and he gets up and he walks away from the
desk and he's got a sport coat on and a
jacket ong, but he's wearing shorts as he walked away
from the and I just remember, thank you then my
entire because I was always been a news geek. I

(54:57):
was always watching TV news when I was like six
or something.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
I think it's all been a lie a few shows ago.

Speaker 2 (55:03):
Yeah, So once somewhere's Hoppy's music.

Speaker 3 (55:07):
He forgot about that.

Speaker 4 (55:08):
Well, you don't have to do that.

Speaker 2 (55:10):
It's okay.

Speaker 16 (55:11):
Oh no, I'm doing this because it's not it's not
the same song.

Speaker 4 (55:15):
Oh really a song someone submitted this song.

Speaker 35 (55:18):
Oh, I hadn't heard we got a Hoppy song?

Speaker 2 (55:20):
Can you hear it without headphones?

Speaker 32 (55:22):
I can't.

Speaker 35 (55:22):
Okay, that's right.

Speaker 16 (55:23):
I'm just gonna play charts. Wonderful.

Speaker 5 (55:26):
This is our This is the opening to Hoppy's obvious observations.

Speaker 1 (55:29):
He's hearing it, Brad's hearing it for the first time.

Speaker 3 (55:31):
Let's do it.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
I haven't heard it.

Speaker 22 (55:33):
Yeah, that's what I said.

Speaker 1 (55:34):
Oh okay, he's hearing it, and Brad's hearing it for
the first time.

Speaker 2 (55:36):
Always you're hearing it, and side what.

Speaker 4 (55:39):
Here we go.

Speaker 36 (55:40):
He's got thoughts that sound brand new, but the things
we already knew his.

Speaker 15 (55:46):
Bomb ready heaven knows. Let's take it quick before.

Speaker 10 (55:58):
Fati hobby taken away with your obvious observation.

Speaker 18 (56:05):
Oh, Ryan, we talked about this without you on the
air yesterday, that you supposedly had the inside tracked all
the good candy for Maybe just stash some of the stuff.

Speaker 26 (56:15):
For us only after tricker beating right, right, Ron finds
where it is after.

Speaker 37 (56:20):
Like, yeah, I don't mess with the candy supply, but
in that brief period where there's candy in the building
between trick or Beat and the Christmas parade, I try
to keep tabs on where it is.

Speaker 18 (56:31):
So have you located this?

Speaker 32 (56:33):
No?

Speaker 4 (56:33):
Give him Tom, That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 18 (56:34):
Give me.

Speaker 4 (56:36):
It's it's like a treasure hunt every year.

Speaker 3 (56:38):
I most of the.

Speaker 37 (56:39):
Time it's in the room off to the side of
the front desk, but sometimes it's been in like supply
closets up in the second recording studio near the metrons.

Speaker 14 (56:48):
Sometimes like in the back of the toilet, you know,
in the reservoir.

Speaker 4 (56:51):
He's found them everywhere.

Speaker 18 (56:52):
So when you find this, when you find this candy,
you'll remember your old pal Dave and your immediate supervisor Coop.

Speaker 6 (57:00):
Yes, yeah, Huntington.

Speaker 26 (57:04):
Do you know who they play.

Speaker 15 (57:06):
Says County Tennessee.

Speaker 26 (57:08):
They've already played one of the best teams in Tennessee
in the opener, Sire only lost so far.

Speaker 15 (57:14):
This is also one of the.

Speaker 26 (57:15):
Best teams in the state of Tennessee. So I don't
know what they're going for a CFP playoff spot or
what they're trying to do down there in Huntington, but
Huddington they're challenging the heck out of themselves.

Speaker 21 (57:25):
Does it ever feel like twenty four years?

Speaker 12 (57:28):
Do you ever sit back and think it feels like
Sometimes I can't believe it's been.

Speaker 21 (57:33):
Twenty four years, and I just think it feels like
it's been a lot.

Speaker 33 (57:37):
And then those other times I think, yes, it's only
been twenty four years.

Speaker 4 (57:40):
Yeah, the same thing.

Speaker 33 (57:41):
I cannot.

Speaker 36 (57:43):
I would love to go back, and I don't think
I have the I know I don't have what dost
show I would. I would love to go back and
hear show number one of year number one. We had
different producers, we weren't on video. A lot of things
have changed over twenty four years. But yeah, sometimes I
think I'd like to go back and say, you guys
never got any better at all.

Speaker 12 (58:04):
You know, as he approaches the team and blastwana lower
line drive, it's going to.

Speaker 37 (58:10):
Be Tyler on the return now and Tyler.

Speaker 13 (58:13):
Up the middle trying to break a tackle, gets outside.

Speaker 15 (58:16):
Look out, I'd have a big life.

Speaker 33 (58:18):
Tyler on the sideline, Hey, well start touched un first
dancer right back.

Speaker 15 (58:30):
You know, I drove home one night.

Speaker 3 (58:33):
It was around eleven thirty on.

Speaker 38 (58:34):
A Sunday night, and I said, you know what, I've
been doing this and I'm tired of doing it, and
I I felt the program was slipping. I just failed. Hey,
you know what, it's time for a younger guy. People said,
did I miss football? You know, I was busy and

(58:57):
I didn't miss it. No, I miss Saturday. I'd go
to the game where you know, I just sit up
there and kind of wish I was going to do
this or that.

Speaker 15 (59:08):
But I didn't miss all day Sunday.

Speaker 38 (59:10):
I didn't miss all day Monday and all that preparation.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
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Speaker 1 (01:00:23):
Continuing to talk with various guests and discuss the following
those happenings of that event in Washington, DC, that ambush,
as the President has called it, of those two West
Virginia National Guardsmen who we now have identities for, Sarah Beckstrom.
Sarah Beckstrom twenty, Andrew Wolf twenty four, Andrew Musselman High

(01:00:46):
School graduates hailing from the Eastern Panhandle. Initial reports have
Sarah from a Webster County, Webster Springs area and just
a tragic undertaking yesterday. Jeff Jenkins joins us from our
Morgantown studios, Kyle Wiggs producing in Morgantown. Thank you Kyle,
along with Jake Link on the video stream and Jeff,

(01:01:07):
we're hearing this morning that both Sarah and Andrew out
of surgery were remaining in critical condition this morning at
the latest report we had from that nine o'clock presser.

Speaker 9 (01:01:17):
Yeah, of course, a treatment at the scene of the
shooting yesterday, then rushed to the hospital. Andrew we understand
was shot in the head and his surgery obviously was
concentrating on that and also Sarah's surgery. So yeah, thoughts
and prayers with those families. Is both in critical condition

(01:01:39):
as the medical teams continue to work on them.

Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
Officials in DC saying the weapon is a three point
fifty seven Smith and Wesson revolver. It has been recovered
and secured since the FBI's crime lab in Quantico, Virginia.
US Attorney General Pambondi saying that if circumstances warrant, if
the conditions were to take a turn and one or

(01:02:03):
both of the victims were to pass that she will
pursue the utmost penalty under the law, including the death penalty.
Other notes this morning from Janine Pierrot talking about the
factor excuse me, Cash Betel talking about the fact as
Jeff alluded to Coast to coast investigation interviews ongoing in

(01:02:24):
San Diego. This suspect, this twenty nine year old Afghan
who had previously worked with the CIA, according to reports
from The New York Times and other outlets, drove from
Washington State. Drove across country. He's married, has a family,
has children, driving across the country to undertake this steed yesterday.
Additional details on a motive have not yet been released.

(01:02:46):
But again the President last night, in an address to
the nation, calling this an act of terror, I want
to bring in Brian Abraham. Brian is Senator Jim Justice's
chief of staff in Washington, served as the Senator's chief
of staff during his time as governor. He's also a
retired brigadier general in the West Virginia National Guard. Brian,

(01:03:08):
as I said to every guest this morning, I wish
you and I were not talking this morning, but I
appreciate your time and a Happy Thanksgiving to you, sir,
Thank you Tjan.

Speaker 39 (01:03:16):
This is this is a terrible morning for a day
like this, would you know families typically get together to
celebrate and for those families to have to deal with
his tragedy, it's just unthinkable.

Speaker 1 (01:03:27):
You are a guardsman, you've served, you've been there. What
is going through your mind today?

Speaker 39 (01:03:35):
It's just you know, a shock, I think, as it
is to us all. Obviously, you look at the ages
of these two individuals and your heart really breaks. You've
got to understand that, you know, a lot of young
people reach out to you know, the military, particularly the
Guard to kind of help themselves in life, to get
you know, either education paid for or they just want
to serve. And I don't think anybody has the expectation

(01:03:58):
that they'll end up injured or worse on you know,
the streets of our nation's capital. But you know, everybody
that was there as part of the Guard volunteered to
go with with this mission. You know, understanding there were
risks involved, and you know that's why there are best
you know, the governor and now sender office obviously refers
to him as you know the heroes that run to
the fire, uh and that's exactly what this this group

(01:04:21):
was doing there in Washington.

Speaker 9 (01:04:22):
And Brian it does seem like just typical Guard members
from West Virginia. You've got a young man from Inwood,
You've got a young lady from Webster County. And that's
what the Guard made That's what the Guard is made
up of.

Speaker 39 (01:04:34):
Right absolutely, it's you know, I've I've been around the
highest levels of government and you know, bus state Nationally,
I've served you know, and with the Guard, with the
Army Reserve and even you know, a couple of years
of active duty, including deployment Iraq. I've never met a
better group of people than in the Western National Guardener

(01:04:55):
some of our best citizens. You know, you understand what
the Guard's made up is is teachers and nurses and
doctors and coal miners and construction workers. And they bring
all those skills and talent to bear, uh, to work
for our state and then work for the nation and
you know, defending our country when they're called upon, and
that's what was asked of them, uh and you know

(01:05:16):
they put their foot forward and volunteered to you know,
be on this mission. We had similarly, you know, sent
sent some Guard members during you know then Governor Justice's
term to Texas at the request of Governor Abbott, helped
defend our border. And obviously, you know there is no
border on the West Virginia state line, but we understood
that's where the drugs were coming from, and you know,

(01:05:38):
send their Justice wanted to make sure that you know,
we we helped our fellow states defend our nation against
this plague that's that's hurt so many West Virginians.

Speaker 32 (01:05:47):
And so when.

Speaker 39 (01:05:49):
President Trump called and asked for assistance from the state,
I'm sure Governor Morsey, well, you know, very much wanted.

Speaker 32 (01:05:55):
To help out.

Speaker 39 (01:05:56):
But you know, it's it's these individuals that have to
step forward and come to call. One of the things
that I did note is that looks like you know Wes.
She has both an Air National Guard and an Army
National Guard, and this appeared to be a blended force.
You know, I've seen some social media during their tour there,
you know, where there's Air Guard members on duty, and

(01:06:16):
I think some of this this young man may be
an Air Guard member. It also, you know, I've seen
them there. I've seen them out in about on the
streets of Washington. I recognized the unit patches obviously had
a chance to say hello to some of them, you know,
and they truly made a difference in that city. You
could see the vagrancy it went down dramatically there around

(01:06:36):
the Capitol and the Senate buildings from their time being there,
and you know it was it was helping our nation's
capital and.

Speaker 9 (01:06:42):
All ran We're just getting a mission was honorable, We're
just getting some information. Let me read this to you
and get your reaction. It says Sergeant wuff Is from
Martinsburg entered the Guard in February twenty nineteen, had been
on orders in the district since the beginning of the
mission in August, and also so a specialist Sarah Beckstrom
twenty of Somersville entered the Guard on June twenty twenty three,

(01:07:07):
and she has also been since August there. So yeah,
they've they've been They've I don't know what, you know,
the status of you know, the last couple of days,
but it sounds like that they've been there for a while.

Speaker 39 (01:07:18):
Yeah, they've been there through the summer. Like I said,
I've seen them, you know, they've been stationed in and
around the city. So I've seen them both at the
Union station. I've seen them over even and you know,
had lunch once in the Wharf district and they were
patrolling there in the wharf district and got a chance
to speak with them. So they've been around the town.
You know, they were the one of the larger forces

(01:07:40):
of states that had volunteered to come was West Virginia.
As we always are, you know, we always go first,
and you know, people may not realize around the state
that when you have events that happened in Washington, units
in the West Virginia Guard are always called to assist.
We have certain specialized teams in our West Virginia Guard
that are always there during the inaugurations in case there's

(01:08:02):
a mass casualty event or a biological event. Uh, you know,
we have specialized teams again, as I said, that go
there and do that. So you know, this this appeared
to be you know, the forces that we sent were
volunteers and that they were hobbled together from those that
stepped forward and put into service and sent forward. Now

(01:08:23):
I had seen some messaging here lately that I think
their mission for the overall group was going to end
soon and those that wanted to volunteer and stay behind
and be part of the lart. The force that remained
was going to be the new posture. I think that
was announced just recently by the Governor's office with National Guard.
So you know that that just compounds this tragedy. You

(01:08:45):
know that they were set to come home very soon. Uh,
and then an incident like this happens.

Speaker 9 (01:08:49):
Brian Abraham's with us here on talk line, Chief of
Staff or Uros Senator Jim Justice. But Brian also a
former prosecutor. And and even though this investstigation is into
it's been less than twenty four hours, what you've heard about,
you know, the the the man accused of the shooting
driving across the country. Where does that go in your

(01:09:12):
mind as a prosecutor as far as intent goes.

Speaker 39 (01:09:16):
Well, that it's clear that for somebody that would come
across the country had malicious intent, you know, to make
that trip, especially coming from that side of the country armed.
And this this doesn't appear to be a random event,
more an intentional, deliberate attack on uniform members of our service.

(01:09:38):
You know, there's been some threat reporting out from our
some of our nations, you know, agencies indicating that what's
the resurgent al Qaeda this past summer put out a
call for attacks on you know, our nations, not only
our infrastructure, but what we call the lone wolf style
attacks designed that individual and our government. And there's no

(01:10:02):
better symbol of that than our armed forces that are
on the streets of our nation's capital. So you know,
it's it's obviously too soon to know what's in that
person's mind, but you know, clearly the indication is was
this was an act that was predetermined as they came. Which,
again then warrants, the calls for the the Attorney General

(01:10:24):
and the US Attorney in Washington are demanding, and that
is the ultimate punishment. It would seem very warranted in
this case.

Speaker 1 (01:10:34):
Brian, A couple of questions. I want to get your
thoughts on. You talked about first the safety of the
city and you being there. I'd like to know if you,
personally I have felt safer as the guard was there.
And I'd also like to know, not as a chief
of staff, just as a guardsman, when you hear calls
for another five hundred people to come up, I would

(01:10:55):
imagine many guardsmen are going to want to fulfill that call.
After what has happened here. I'd like your thoughts on.

Speaker 39 (01:11:00):
That well to answer that in reverse order. Absolutely, I
think many West Virginia guardsmen will want to go and volunteer,
you know, because it's you know, when one of your
comrades goes down, that's what we do as we circle
the wagon, so to speak. And there's no doubt in
my mind that West Virginia has always stepped forward, as

(01:11:21):
I said, and you know, the first to volunteer. So
I expect that those numbers will will absolutely swell.

Speaker 8 (01:11:28):
You know.

Speaker 39 (01:11:28):
I can't say personally, speaking of just me personally again
that I ever ever had fear in downtown d C.
I can tell you that sense the guard came, it
was obvious that the amount of vagrancy in town, particularly
around like I said, the you know, the train stations
right across from the the office buildings, and that was

(01:11:51):
usually a huge area for you know, the encampments and
and and you could tell that, you know, the smell
of drugs in the air and thing so that that
went away immediately. And so you could tell there was
a difference in those areas. You know, I don't know
certain parts of areas that probably had higher crime rates.

(01:12:12):
I couldn't speak to that because they don't frequent those
I can tell you that when they were there, I
felt safe, yes, and I think the citizens do as well.
As I said, you know, they were patrolling routinely, very visible,
and you know, they seem to be very supported by
the public I saw. I know there's certain individuals that
you know, protested and that don't want them there, and

(01:12:33):
you know they filed lawsuits, but I think the public
that I saw was very supportive of them.

Speaker 1 (01:12:39):
I know you obviously haven't been part of this mission.
I realize you're retired, but talk to me a little
bit about training. What kind of training you think these
guardsmen were given in order to undertake this mission, because
I'm sure they had to have it.

Speaker 39 (01:12:52):
Every soldier and airman, you know, get a certain amount
of individual training as far as being aware of potential threats.
We have individual anti terrorism courses and a lot of it,
frankly is on you know, just online you got to
take and you know it's it's it's more, you know,

(01:13:12):
spotting threats than responding to them. They would have certainly
as they came together as a group that you know,
as originally said, it appears they were more cobbled together
from volunteers, would have received some some amount of training
because their mission was was a little bit unusual, and
that it's not normal for the Guard to act as
a you know, deterret policing force, which is what they

(01:13:33):
were being asked to do. So I can't speak to
the end the specific training. I would believe that once
they got there on site that the leadership certainly put
t TP that's you know, techniques and practice in place
for them to both fulfill their mission and as well
as try to protect themselves. Uh uh that that again,

(01:13:54):
it's a belief I have. I wasn't involved in any
specific roll up for this, I appreciate, but that that
would be normal.

Speaker 32 (01:14:01):
That would be normal.

Speaker 1 (01:14:02):
Brian Abraham, chief of staff for Senator Jim Justice, also
a retired one star general in the West Virginia National Guard. Brian,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, sir, TJ.

Speaker 39 (01:14:15):
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Jeff. And please let's all
keep them in our prayers.

Speaker 1 (01:14:19):
Yes, indeed, sir, when we come back, we'll recap what
we have. Also, perhaps listen to Sounder or two. Brian's boss,
the Senator made some comments last night. We'll hear those
and talk about those next on Metro News talk Line.

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Speaker 1 (01:18:01):
Special edition of Metro News talk Line. I'm TJ Meadows.
Jeff Jenkins joins me from our Morgantown studios and Jeff,
it's a somber Thanksgiving. That's something you and I wanted
to be doing today for sure.

Speaker 9 (01:18:13):
No, and we do have TJ. Within the last few minutes,
and we started the show with this the names of
the West Virginia Guard members. We have more specifics from
the West Virginia National Guard. Major General, State Agudent General
Jim Seward releasing more information about the two Guard members
who are in critical condition after being shot yesterday. We've

(01:18:36):
mentioned twenty four year old Andrew Woolf. He was in
fact in the Air National Guard, as Brian Abraham mentioned,
he was a years Air Force staff sergeant assigned to
the Force Support Squadron of the one sixty seventh Airlift
Wing of the Air National Guard, and one sixty seventh
is in Martinsburg, that's where they are based. And then

(01:18:59):
US Army specialist Sarah Beckstrom, so she's a member of
the Army National Guard. She's with the eight sixty third
Military Police Company, the one hundred and eleventh Engineer Brigade,
and they were again both wounded yesterday. Wolfe is twenty four.
He was entered into the Guard in February fifth, twenty nineteen.

(01:19:23):
And the Sarah Bectrum's a specialist. She's twenty and she
is from Summersville and entered the Guard in late June
twenty twenty three. And both of them, according to this
release from the West Virginia National Guard, have been on
this mission since it started in August of this year.

Speaker 1 (01:19:39):
And Jeff, based on what Janine Piro said, this morning
in her presser, volunteering today is what we understand.

Speaker 9 (01:19:46):
Correct, That's what it sounds like, because you know, West
Virginia's mission has changed a little bit. You know, it
was just announced I think less than two weeks ago
from Major General Sewer and Governor Morrissey that it was
going to be more of a volunteer force. They would
gear that down three to four hundred members there, and

(01:20:08):
they're gearing that down to one hundred and sixty and
then they would review it every quarter. So it sounds
like that they, you know, this extended service was part
of a volunteering type service for these two.

Speaker 1 (01:20:21):
Piro saying the suspect is a twenty nine year old
Afghan national, telling us in that presser in the nine
o'clock hour, they intend to charge that person with assault,
intend to kill. That's a fifteen year minimum, also saying
that if the outcome is not what we are praying for,
if one or both of these guardsmen were not to survive,

(01:20:44):
no doubt that her office would immediate, immediately take it
to murder in the first degree and pursue capital penalties.
Jeff cash Bettel this morning, saying this is an investigation
of terrorism, saying that the weapon of three P fifty
seven revolver has been secured and since I quantico and
also telling us Jeff that this is a nationwide investigation,

(01:21:06):
talking about some things on the West coast, elaborate on
that if you would yeah.

Speaker 9 (01:21:10):
Again, he was lived in Washington and with married with
five kids, it appears, and came into the country in
twenty twenty one, has been said several times, and drove
across the country, according to investigators, to Washington, d C.
And they believe with this in mind. Also the investigation,

(01:21:32):
something that they found at his Washington residence has hooked
them to a scene in San Diego, which I don't
know if there's been some communication there that is, but
there's some site in San Diego also that they've been searching.

Speaker 1 (01:21:47):
Latest on our website at wv metronews dot com courtesy
of Brad mcelhaney. Let's go to comments from last night
Senator Jim Justice appearing on CNN Kyle, this is Justice one.

Speaker 41 (01:21:58):
All of those in West Virginia are praying real, real,
real hard right now, and because we just think it's
tragic beyond belief. You know, I had so many opportunities
to be with the National Guard as the governor, and
you know, whether it be bad windstorms or floods, and
waited mud with them and just just saw just how

(01:22:19):
wonderful they are. I mean, they're heroes, they're warriors, but
they're also brothers and sisters and absolutely their husbands and wives,
and they give so much to all of us that's
off the chart. And so I can never say enough
for them. They're the greatest, is the greatest in my book.
And we just got to we just got to keep

(01:22:39):
these two wonderful, wonderful people in our prayers that they're
gonna be okay some way, somehow.

Speaker 1 (01:22:44):
The Senator saying that the city d C deserves safety,
Kyle Justice too.

Speaker 41 (01:22:49):
We deserve to be safe in our cities. We deserve
to be safe in our homes. All our president is
trying to do is reduce the crime, and absolutely all
of us should celebrate that, you know. But yet this
is such a heinous act that it just hits off
the chart to me.

Speaker 1 (01:23:10):
So Jeff Senator Justice weighing in last night with his comments,
and of course those echoed just a moment ago by
Chief of Staff Brian Abraham, and again just a quick rundown.
If you could, Jeff on those two individuals that have
been identified as members of the Guard.

Speaker 9 (01:23:25):
Yeah, Andrew wolf and Sarah Beckstrom. Wolf is twenty four,
Sarah is twenty years old. She is from Somersville, identified
as being from Summersville, and he is from Inwood, the
Martinsburg area of Berkeley County.

Speaker 1 (01:23:38):
State Senator Ryan Weld joins us. Coming up. He's chair
of the Senate Military Committee here in West Virginia. We'll
talk with him and gather his thoughts. Plus maybe get
into a few of your texts, have more sound from
the President, maybe even explore a commentary on this matter
from Happy Kerchievell. All of that coming up. This is
talk Line on Metro News, the Voice of West Virginia.

(01:24:00):
It's eleven thirty. We go to the news desk.

Speaker 19 (01:24:05):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Morgan Pemberton. The two West
Virginia National Guard members that were shot Wednesday outside the
nation's capital have been identified. US Attorney Janin Piro announced
in a media briefing today that twenty four year old
Andrew Wolfe and twenty year old Sarah Beckstrom remained in
critical condition following surgery and that they continued to receive
the best care possible. FBI Director Cash Battel also addressed

(01:24:29):
the media today. He said they will work hard in
getting justice as this remains an active investigation.

Speaker 42 (01:24:34):
Is a coast to coast investigation being led right here
in Washington, DC. And this subject definitely did pick the
wrong country.

Speaker 10 (01:24:42):
And we will.

Speaker 42 (01:24:43):
Rise together as a nation to show the world what
we do here. And we are thankful that we have
the Attorney General's brave leadership and President Trump's brave leadership
and priorities to safeguard our communities.

Speaker 19 (01:24:54):
He said they have interviewed several people who have been
associated with the suspect. Raman Nala Lockinwall from the Metro
News anchor desk.

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Speaker 15 (01:27:01):
His last.

Speaker 1 (01:27:23):
Special edition of Metro News talk Line. TJ. Meadows alongside
Jeff Jenkins talking this morning about those two West Virginia
National Guardsmen shot yesterday in DC while on duty. Sarah Bestrom,
twenty years old of Somersville Andrew Wolfe, twenty four, of
Inwood identified. Both remain in critical condition according to the

(01:27:45):
latest news reports. Senator Ryan Weld represents Brooke County in
the state Senate. He is chair of the Senate Military Committee.
He joins us now on talk line.

Speaker 15 (01:27:56):
Ryan.

Speaker 1 (01:27:57):
As I've said many times this morning, I wish we
were not talking looking, but I thank you for your time.

Speaker 43 (01:28:01):
Sir, absolutely thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (01:28:05):
What goes through your mind when you think about what
happened yesterday.

Speaker 32 (01:28:11):
Just it's.

Speaker 43 (01:28:14):
I think to say that it's a tragedy doesn't even
really cover it. If I'm being completely honest, It's an
act of unspeakable evil. And you know, today we have
two families in West Virginia that are grieving horrific injuries
to their loved ones that you know, people are deployed
military parents worry about them on they're stateside. You think

(01:28:36):
that your son or your daughter that's in the military
is going to be in a safe place. And we
are now in a physician where two of the members
of our Guard have been attacked on American soil. And
it's just it's again, to say that it's a tragedy
really doesn't.

Speaker 32 (01:28:52):
Even do it justice.

Speaker 9 (01:28:55):
Sarah's Jeff Jenkins here. They are just released and you
would be familiar with this. They just released the service
records of Staff Stars and Andrew Wilf. He's a member
of the Air National Guard. Several awards received here, Air
and Space Achievement Medal, Air Force Service Medal, so a

(01:29:16):
number of medals. Looks like he's got five or six
medals since he has been in the Guard. And then
Sarah Beckstrom, who's twenty years old, has only been in
the Guard just a little more than two years. He
has an army service or ribbon. Speak to that if
you would have just about you know, members of the Guard.
I mean, and I've asked this question a couple of times,

(01:29:37):
but here's a young guy from Berkeley County and he
a young woman from Nicholas County who volunteered to serve.
Who signed up to serve.

Speaker 43 (01:29:47):
Yeah, people think of the National Guard and they think
of a flooding in West Virginia in the National Guard,
or in massive snowstorms, the emergencies that are here in
the state. But really, since nine to eleven, the nature
of the Guard and the service range of the Guard
has greatly expanded from serving overseas to now being a

(01:30:11):
part of the mission in Washington, d C. And you know,
it's my understanding that both of these members were sworn
in to be in DC less than twenty four hours
before this attack. And I think at this point in time,
everybody who was in d C from what West Virginia's
Guard was there on a volunteer basis because the orders

(01:30:31):
had ended and they had brought the members home who
didn't want to volunteer to stay or to be there.

Speaker 25 (01:30:36):
And so.

Speaker 43 (01:30:39):
Again it's my understanding that the most likely they volunteered
to be there, and to volunteer to be there, you're
going to miss the holidays with your families. Those are
when I was deployed, that was the worst time because
you know that you're missing Thanksgiving, a Christmas. And so
they made that decision to be there, and it says
a lot about them, and it says a lot about

(01:31:02):
their faith or their desire to want to serve in
the mission. We're all familiar with the court battles, the
political battles of having not just our National Guard but
the National Guard of other states in DC. But we
can't let the mission and the individuals who are serving
there get lost and all that that these people were

(01:31:25):
there because either well they all made a decision of
volunteer to join the Guard, but for many of them,
they volunteered to remain there, and we can't.

Speaker 32 (01:31:34):
The sight of that.

Speaker 15 (01:31:36):
Ryan.

Speaker 1 (01:31:36):
It feels like we've been searching for something to bring
us together as a people in this country again, and
certainly no one wanted this to happen. But can we
honor these individuals by coming together as Americans. Do we
have a hope that something like this can bring us
back together as Americans?

Speaker 8 (01:31:57):
Yeah?

Speaker 43 (01:31:57):
I think so. I think that that despite what the
media says or what social media says, Americans are united
in what we believe America is and what we want
America to be. And so I think that if we
all continue, and I say this when I've given a
remark at a Veterans Memorial Day event, that if we

(01:32:20):
all want to honor the service of people who have
come before us and will come after us, just do
your best to make the community in your state the
best place that it can be. Volunteer, use your talents
to again serve the people on a different level that
you live with. And I think that's really the best
way make it in America that is worth serving, that

(01:32:41):
is worth fighting for. And I think that right now,
and we saw this in the wake of the Charlie kirkshooting,
that I think that social media is the great divider
in this country right now. I don't know why, but
I spent a few minutes on Twitter last night. It's
just the worst is the worst, both sides blaming each other.

(01:33:06):
You wanted this, you wanted to provoke this, you wanted
to make, you want to see this because you want
to prove this.

Speaker 32 (01:33:15):
It's awful.

Speaker 43 (01:33:16):
And so the one thing that I can say, it's
just to everybody that's listening, get off of social media,
enjoy the holiday with your family, go shopping tomorrow, go
out and being in a tree stand for the next
couple of days. Watch the new season of Stranger Things,
but just get off of social media and don't listen

(01:33:39):
to that noise.

Speaker 1 (01:33:42):
It's good advice, because you're right. I took a look
last night as well, and it didn't take long for
the blame game to start. And look, I think people
want answers because that helps us with our grief somewhat,
and some grieve more than others. But people want to
understand the why as a means to try to process,
and I think that's healthy. But when it goes beyond that,

(01:34:05):
ryan into the blame. Some of the comments like you're
talking about well you asked for this or you had
this coming that kind of thing. That's when it goes
over the edge and it just becomes unproductive. Do people
fall into that trap? Are they just looking to understand
the why to go somewhere with their grief or is
it a more intentional thing when folks go on to
social media and start shouting at the rain, so to speak.

Speaker 43 (01:34:29):
I think it varies person to person. I think that
there are some people who just want.

Speaker 39 (01:34:32):
To find Andrews.

Speaker 43 (01:34:33):
Why does this happen? I don't want the focus to
be on the shooter right now. There are other people
who are investigating and looking into that. Right now, we
need to focus on our two guard members who are
fighting some horrific injuries, to my understanding, and making sure
that they get through this and come back to West Virginia.

(01:34:54):
And then I think there are some people who want
to go on and just provoke and just feed into
the the outrage negativity machine. And I just think that
social media is just it's not representative of who we
are as a society, but it's the loudest voice. You
see those people on there, and so again, I just

(01:35:15):
encourage everybody to spend more time in real life and
not on social media, and I think society will be
a much better place as a result.

Speaker 1 (01:35:27):
In your role as Military Committee chair, what can your
committee do moving forward as these two guardsmen hopefully recover.
I'm wondering what the state can do and how your
committee and the legislature as a whole, what we can
do to rally around not only are these guardsmen but
all of our guardsmen.

Speaker 32 (01:35:45):
So historically what the.

Speaker 43 (01:35:48):
Military community in the Senate is focused on working with
guard leadership in things that might need to be changed
or new sections of code to be put into place
to help them in their mission, help them a lot
of times, you know, recruiting programs that for some reason
are in state code or some of their things that

(01:36:09):
are relative to their mission that are in state code.
Working with them to again help them better prepare and
better perform their mission. But then also finding ways to
ensure that veterans who live in this state are you know,
treated with the respect that they deserve, coming up with

(01:36:33):
programs like the Veterans' Homelann Mortgage program, ensuring that opportunities
at ore, you know, community colleges and four year universities
are open to members of the Garden Reserve, any veterans,
or any active duty members that might live in West Virginia.

(01:36:53):
So that's what we've we've always tried to focus on
those areas. I stand obviously at the ready, should the
National Guard need anything changed in our code to in
an issue like this and make sure that somebody has
healthcare at a facility or the assistance that they might need.

(01:37:16):
So I will we work hand in hand on a
number of issues, and so if they need something, they
know that I will always answer the phone.

Speaker 1 (01:37:25):
Senator Ryan, Well, Ryan, thanks for your time this morning.
We appreciate you, sir.

Speaker 43 (01:37:29):
Absolutely Happy Thanksgiving.

Speaker 1 (01:37:30):
Happy Thanksgiving. Jeff taking a look at some posting's friend
of the program, Amelia Nicely, who appears often here with
us on Metro News. She is tweeting out that she
has just heard from the West Virginia National Guard that
West Virginia troops have not have not been asked to
join the additional five hundred National Guard members that President
Trump ordered to DC following the shooting. So apparently not

(01:37:54):
an ask yet, but as we talked about with Brian Abraham,
would not surprise me if fellow guardsmen from West Virginia
would like to step forward and volunteer based on what
happened yesterday.

Speaker 9 (01:38:04):
Yeah, we'll see what the future of the services there.
We knew again that that had been ratcheted down to
about one hundred and sixty, and I think there's a
little confusion out there, TJ. Because the Guard has officially
announced within the last hour that both these two Guard
members have been on the mission since August, if I'm

(01:38:24):
reading that right, and I know in a news conference
it said that they were sworn in less than twenty
four hours before the shooting, and I'm kind of thinking
that maybe that was maybe as part of the volunteer
because the West Virginia Group its first status was changed
and then there were one hundred and sixty volunteers, so
maybe they were resworn back in. I don't know how

(01:38:44):
all that works, but sure that you're getting kind of
two things there, but appears that they had been there
since August.

Speaker 1 (01:38:51):
Yeah, well, a fog of war kind of thing, and
that people want to get the information out and sometimes
this happens right as stories developed, and we'll get that
cleaned up. Clearly, we understand that where they're volunteering today,
as we've heard, so that others might not necessarily have
to be. It's what you would expect, frankly, from young

(01:39:12):
West Virginians and no one is surprised. Again, CASHP. Betel
this morning saying this is being investigated as an act
of terrorism. The President called it an act of terrorism
during his televised remarks last night that twenty nine year
old Afghan national suspect he remains hospitalized under heavy guard.
Both Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe twenty and twenty four, respectively,

(01:39:36):
remain in critical condition in a Washington, DC area hospital.

Speaker 9 (01:39:42):
And for TJF fully updated story including photos from our
Brad mclheney lead story wv Metronews dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:39:49):
Jeff will take the break, come back, reset, look toward
wrapping the program up. Metro News talk line continues after this.

Speaker 28 (01:39:58):
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Speaker 44 (01:40:37):
From all of us here at the Health Plan. We
want to make your season bright, whether you're rapping gifts
or planning next year's goals. We're here for you. Happy
holidays and Merry Christmas. From our family to yours.

Speaker 32 (01:40:52):
We are here.

Speaker 12 (01:40:56):
You're listening to talk Line on Metro News, the voice
of West Virginia.

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Speaker 1 (01:43:25):
TJ meadows alongside Jeff Jenkins covering yesterday's events in Washington, DC.
The Presidents of the United States spoke to the nation
last night.

Speaker 15 (01:43:36):
This is what he had to say.

Speaker 3 (01:43:38):
My great fellow American.

Speaker 45 (01:43:40):
Earlier today, on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, two
members of the National Guard serving in Washington, d C.
Were shot at point blank range in a monstrous ambush
style attack just steps away from the White House. They
had been deputized as part of the most successful public
safety and national security emission in the history of our

(01:44:02):
nation's capital, the DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which
has achieved and unprecedented reduction in violent crime and crimes
of all type. This heinous assault was an active evil
and active hatred, and an act of terror. It was
a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime

(01:44:23):
against humanity. The hearts of all Americans tonight are with
those two members of the West Virginia National.

Speaker 3 (01:44:31):
Guard and their families.

Speaker 45 (01:44:33):
The love of our entire country is pouring out for them,
and we are lifting them up in our prayers. As
we are filled with anguish and grief for those who
were shot, were also filled with righteous anger and ferocious resolve.

Speaker 3 (01:44:50):
As President of the United States.

Speaker 45 (01:44:53):
I am determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated
this atrocity pays the steepest possible price. I can report
tonight that, based on the best available information, the Department
of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect and custody
is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a

(01:45:15):
hell hole on Earth. He was flown in by the
Biden administration in September twenty twenty one on those infamous
flights that everybody was talking about. Nobody knew who was
coming in, Nobody knew anything about it. His status was
extended under legislation signed by President Biden, a disastrous president,

(01:45:37):
the worst in the history of our country. This attack
underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.

Speaker 3 (01:45:46):
The last administration.

Speaker 45 (01:45:47):
Led in twenty million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all
over the world from places that you don't want even
know about. No country can tolerate such a risk to
our very survival. An example is Minnesota, where hundreds of
thousands of Somalians are ripping off our country and ripping

(01:46:09):
apart that once great state. Billions of dollars are lost,
and gangs of Somalians come from a country that doesn't
even have a government, no laws, no water, no military,
know nothing, as their representatives in our country preach to
us about our constitution and how our country is no good.

(01:46:31):
We're not going to put up with these kind of
assaults on law and order by people who shouldn't even
be in our country. We must now re examine every
single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,
and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the
removal of any alien from any country who does not

(01:46:53):
belong here or add benefit to our country.

Speaker 3 (01:46:56):
If they can't love our country, we don't want them.

Speaker 45 (01:47:00):
America will never bend and never yield in the face
of terror, and at the same time, we will not
be deterred from the mission the service members.

Speaker 3 (01:47:09):
Were so nobly fulfilling.

Speaker 45 (01:47:12):
That is why tonight I can announce that I have
directed the Department of War to mobilize an additional five
hundred troops to help protect our capital city. We will
make America totally safe again, and we will bring the
perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice.
If the bullets going in the opposite direction haven't already

(01:47:36):
done that. During this time of the year, when we
gather at home with loved ones, these two patriots were
wearing the uniform of our country, patrolling the streets of
our capital. They had taken a selfless oath to defend
our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that
is exactly what they were doing when they were a

(01:47:56):
gunned down in.

Speaker 3 (01:47:58):
A savage attack.

Speaker 45 (01:48:00):
I want to express my extraordinary gratitude to every member
of the United States Military who is deployed tonight, at
home and abroad. I also want to thank the Secret
Service and the DC Metropolitan Police Department for their work
today this Thanksgiving. I ask every family to say a
prayer for the two great heroes who were so horribly shot,

(01:48:23):
and for their loved ones.

Speaker 3 (01:48:24):
Please say a prayer.

Speaker 45 (01:48:26):
May God bless them and comfort them, and may God
bless and protect the United States of America.

Speaker 3 (01:48:32):
Thank you, and good night.

Speaker 1 (01:48:35):
President of the United States Donald J. Trump, addressing the
nation last night from Mar at Lago, referring to the
West Virginia Guardsmen. Those two patriots, now identified as twenty
year old Sarah Backstrom of Somersville and twenty four year
old Andrew Wolf of Inwood. They remain hospitalized in critical condition.

(01:48:56):
This morning in Washington, d C. We will take the
final come back. Get the latest update from Jeff in
the newsroom. This special edition of Metro News talk Line
continues after the break.

Speaker 46 (01:49:10):
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Speaker 44 (01:49:47):
From all of us, here at the health Plan. We
want to make your season bright. Whether you're wrapping gifts
are planning next year's goals, we are here for you.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Speaker 12 (01:50:04):
You're listening to talk Line on Metro News, the Voice
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Speaker 15 (01:50:16):
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Speaker 1 (01:52:27):
Thanks to Kyle Wiggs and Jake Link, our producers today.
Jeff Jenkins, I'm looking at this picture on our website
of Sarah and Andrew and just so young. It's hard
to it's a little hard to look at it, sir.
Your final thoughts today.

Speaker 9 (01:52:38):
Yeah, exactly, I mean these, you know, we work with
the Guard. We've we've seen the Guard in action in
West Virginia all these years, whether it's you know, loading
C one thirties and heading to Katrina that wiped out
in New Orleans, or heading across seas in the world
on terror, or you're moving flooded out debris in southern

(01:53:00):
West Virginia or in Wheeling. You know this past year
in Triadelphia, and you know this is this is what
the Guard does. And yeah, thoughts and prayers with both
of them. And you can read the story the new
developments today at WV metro news dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:53:16):
We will have the latest developments as they occur in
tomorrow's edition of Talkline. We're back live again tomorrow will
continue to follow this story. As Jeff noted. For the
latest information, you can always log onto our website WV
metronews dot com. Special thanks to Jeff, Brad, Kyle Jake,
all of our guests. This has been Talkline on Metro

(01:53:39):
News for forty years. Metro News has been the voice
of West Virginia.