U.S. Marine officials say a Marine standing guard at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina turned his gun on a fellow guard Tuesday afternoon, killing him.
Reporters at the base say the shooting happened at a guard shack as the two Marines were monitoring traffic at the main gate into the base. (Via WNCN)
REPORTER: "The victim was shot in the chest and died despite efforts to revive him. The Marine who fired the shot is in custody. ... No word on whether that shooting was accidental." (Via WECT)
In a release, the Marine Corps wrote the guard fired an M4 rifle, which local reporters in nearby Wilmington and Raleigh say are standard issue for the guards. Neither of the Marines was identified.
The comparisons to the Fort Hood shootings that killed three people only a week ago began almost immediately. Marine officials acknowledged the comparisons but, at the same time, downplayed them.
NAT FAHY, CAMP LEJEUNE SPOKESMAN: "They quickly had enough info at their disposal to make the determination that this was neither an act of terrorism nor an active shooter incident. It was isolated, and it was quickly de-escalated." (Via WRAL)
WWAY reports the Marine who died was shot around 5:30 in the afternoon and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
Naval officials will investigate the shooting to determine if it was intentional or an accident.
