A U.S. Marine was shot and killed Tuesday at 5 a.m. while on duty at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., CNN reported.
The Marine was pronounced dead at 5:59 a.m. at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
The wound was not self-inflicted, according to Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Jackson.
The shooting is being investigated by D.C. police.
Our thoughts and prayers are with this Marine’s family https://t.co/tyHuDM2Jqj
— Task & Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) January 1, 2019
The Washington Post reported that the slain Marine may have been wounded when another Marine’s gun went off accidentally. The Post cited “two officials with knowledge of the investigation” as its source for the information.
The Post also noted that “authorities cautioned that the investigation was in its beginning stages.”
NEW: DC police source tells me Marine shot and killed at the barracks this morning appears to have been shot by accident. Happened during shift change when weapons are supposed to be unloaded before being passed to next shift. Appears that didn’t happen. @fox5dc
— Evan Lambert (@EvanLambertTV) January 1, 2019
According to The Post, the investigation was classified by the police as a “death investigation,” which, if true, would be an indication that no crime was committed.
U.S. Marine fatally shot at Marine Barracks Washington on Capitol Hill https://t.co/lVw46Xcb6W
— Peter Hermann (@phscoop) January 1, 2019
Police told WTOP that “there are no criminal charges being investigated at this point.”
The victim was described as a white man in his early 20s.
Col. Don Tomichm, the commanding officer of Marine Barracks, released a statement following the incident.
“The command’s priorities are to take care of the Marine’s family and friends,” he said. “We want to ensure these personnel are being provided for during this challenging time.”
This is the third case in the past six years in which a Marine was shot at the Marine Barracks. The other two were ruled to have been caused by negligence and an accident.
The Marine Barracks was founded in 1801 and is the oldest active Marine Corps post. Marines stationed there perform ceremonial and security missions.
Via WesternJournal
