Marine Accidentally Killed on Capitol Hill: Reports

A US Marine was fatally shot inside a barracks on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, early Tuesday in what authorities reportedly believe to be an accident. The gunshot around 5am was not self-inflicted, a Marine Corps rep tells the Washington Post, which describes "an accidental discharge from another Marine's weapon." Citing a police source, Fox 5's Evan Lambert reports the incident occurred "during shift change when weapons are supposed to be unloaded before being passed to next shift." The injured Marine in his early 20s was then taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made, nor is there any indication that investigators believe a crime was committed, per the Post, which describes this as the third shooting at Marine Barracks Washington, the oldest active Marine Corps post, in six years. In what was later cited as a negligent discharge of a weapon, a Marine was injured by a self-inflicted gunshot while on guard in June. Five years earlier, a 19-year-old Marine died after authorities said he accidentally shot himself in the head. As of now, "the command's priorities are to take care of the Marine's family and friends," commanding officer Col. Don Tomichm says, per Fox 5. (More Marines stories.)