CAMP LEJEUNE, NC (AP) – A Marine standing guard at Camp Lejeune’s main gate fired his M4 rifle, issued to him as part of his job, and killed a fellow Marine guard Tuesday evening.
According to reports, the Marine died from a fatal wound to the chest after efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
The two Marines were monitoring incoming traffic onto the base. A spokesman for Camp Lejeune says it wasn’t just the two guards, and that at least one other Marine was present at the main gate.
The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Fire crews and emergency medical personnel arrived shortly following the incident and transferred the victim to Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune where the victim was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m.
Officials aren’t releasing details of how or why this happened. According to the Base Provost Marshal, the incident is being considered neither an act of terrorism nor an active shooter event at this time. We’re told it was an isolated incident.
The Marine who fired the shot is in custody.
The ID of the Marine that was killed is being withheld until the family can be notified.
The shooting is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The incident comes after Specialist Ivan Lopez killed three soldiers and injured 16 others during a shooting spree at Fort Hood in central Texas on April 2. Lopez was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
