In Brackettville, Texas, a 19-year old Texas National Guard soldier died in a gun accident today. The soldier, Dajuan Lester Townes, was in a parked car with fellow guardsman when he handed his gun to a soldier sitting behind him.  The gun went off, pierced the seat, and struck Townes in the back. 

Townes was assigned to Governor Greg Abbott’s border patrol mission, Operation Lone Star.  Another mission solider died on January 1, 2022 in an alcohol related gun accident. Since October, four other soldiers have died by suicide, all of them using personal weapons, according to a report in Army Times.

“We are deeply saddened by this loss,” a representative of the Texas Military Department said in a release. “We are focused on supporting the Soldier’s family and are providing all available resources.” 

Sources:

Ellen Mitchell, “Texas National Guard Soldier Assigned to Border Dies in Accidental Shooting,”  The Hill (February 8, 2022).

“Texas Army National Guard Soldier Who Passed Away Following ‘Accidental’ Shooting Identified as 19-year-old From Spring, Texas,” kens5.com (February 9, 2022).