Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A Texas National Guard soldier stationed in the area as part of Operation Lone Star died Monday following an accidental shooting on Fort Clark Springs, the Army Times has reported.
The soldier, whose identity is being withheld pending the notification of next-of-kin, was shot and killed with his personal handgun after he handed that gun to a fellow soldier, and the gun went off, according to the Army Times story.
Army Times writer Davis Winkie reported, “According to documents obtained by the Army Times, the soldier was sitting in the front seat of a car parked at Fort Clark Springs near Brackettville, Texas, where the unit was doing swim training, when he handed his handgun to a soldier sitting behind him.
“The gun fired as the second soldier was taking it from his hands, sending a round through the seat and into the first soldier’s back, the documents stated,” the report reads.
The soldier died at the scene, despite swift efforts to save his life.
The soldier was assigned to support Operation Lone Star, a directive by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to help secure the Texas-Mexico border and to deter drug and human smugglers.
Abbott on Monday issued a brief statement about the soldier’s death, calling it a tragedy and confirming the incident was “non-mission related.”
“The Texas National Guard plays an important role in our efforts to keep communities safe, and we are grateful for their courage and commitment. The Texas Rangers will conduct a thorough investigation into this tragedy, and the Texas Military Department is taking action to ensure such loss of life never happens again,” Abbott said in his statement.
The soldier’s death on Monday is the second this year.
The first death occurred on New Year’s Day in McAllen, when a Texas National Guard soldier accidentally shot himself in the head while drinking off-duty at the home of a friend, the Army Times reported in a separate story published Jan. 4.
The story noted McAllen authorities determined the incident was “alcohol-related” and found no signs of foul play.
Like the soldier who died Monday, the soldier in McAllen was killed with his own handgun.
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