SAN ANTONIO — A U.S. Army drill sergeant in Texas died just before 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day after first responders found her in a vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Officials with Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston confirmed to KSAT that Sgt. Jessica Mitchell was pronounced dead at University Hospital San Antonio early Friday. She was 30 and on holiday leave at the time of the shooting.
Mitchell, assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence since August 2019, previously served at the Joint Base San Antonio dental clinic, according to a base spokesperson.
“We are devastated by the tragic loss of Drill Sergeant Jessica Mitchell. Our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends. We are focused on supporting Drill Sergeant Mitchell’s family as well as her soldiers during this extremely difficult time,” Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, the MEDCoE commanding general, told the TV station in a prepared statement.
Very little information was available the night of Mitchell's death. Here is the original story. We've reached back out to @SATXPolice to ask for an update on the case. https://t.co/3Yrg4F9t43
— Morgan Burrell (@Morgan_Burrell) January 2, 2021
Mayo Mitchell told WOAI that his daughter was a fifth-generation member of the military who “wanted to be the best that she can be in her military career. But that was cut short.”
What's incredibly sad about this is the family is no stranger to tragedy. In 2017, Jessica's brother Justice Mitchell was shot and killed at the young age of 18. May they both rest in peace🕊️https://t.co/Hij8mhn9sj
— Morgan Burrell (@Morgan_Burrell) January 2, 2021
According to the base spokesperson, Jessica Mitchell’s death is being investigated by the San Antonio Police Department and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.
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