National Guardsman Recovering Following Being Shot in the Nation's Capital

A servicemember of the National Guard is showing improvement after he was gravely wounded in an ambush-style shooting last month in the US capital.

The family of the 24-year-old soldier, 24, say "his head wound is slowly healing and that he's starting to 'look more like himself,'" said the state's chief executive the governor.

The family expects the Air Force staff sergeant to be in intensive treatment for the coming fortnight, and they feel hopeful about his recovery, according to the official's statement.

Staff Sgt Wolfe was one of a pair of state guardsmen injured by gunfire when a gunman began shooting not far from the White House on 26 November. His colleague, 20-year-old his counterpart, died from her injuries.

"Our request remains for all state residents and the nation's citizens for their thoughts and prayers!" the governor said.

The governor was present at a vigil on last Friday night for the injured soldier at Musselman High School in his hometown, where the guardsman was once a pupil.

A clergyman at the vigil read a message from the guardsman's mother and father, Jason and Melody Wolfe.

"We know that there is a long road to go," they wrote, as reported by local news outlet Metro News.

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

Earlier in the week, the state official said the serviceman had responded to a nurse with a positive gesture and was capable of wiggle his feet.

Police have charged the suspected shooter, an individual from Afghanistan named the suspect, with first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill.

Prior to his arrival to the US in two years ago, he was once a counterterrorism soldier in a CIA-backed unit that worked with US forces in the South Asian nation.

The injured airman was one of two thousand National Guard members whom the former president deployed to the Washington DC in August as part of his immigration and crime-related crackdown in urban centers.

In the aftermath of the incident, Trump said he wanted an additional five hundred military personnel deployed to the District of Columbia.

The Trump administration has also referenced the shooting as a justification for additional immigration crackdown measures.

They have halted naturalization proceedings for immigrants from 19 countries that were part of a travel ban announced over the recent season, including the suspect's home country.