Army Investigating Fatal Shooting of Texas Drill Sergeant: ‘It’s Heartbreaking’

A 30-year-old United States Army drill sergeant was found fatally shot in San Antonio, Texas, early Friday morning.

Jessica Mitchell “was the victim of multiple gunshot wounds,” Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston said in a statement, according to NBC News.

Firefighters discovered the young woman in a vehicle while responding to reports of a collision.

News 4 San Antonio journalist Morgan Burrell tweeted photos Saturday afternoon of Mitchell, who leaves behind a 10-year-old son:

On New Year's Day around 2:30 a.m., first responders went to what they thought was a car crash on the North Side. Instead, a team of firefighters discovered a shooting victim. The family of U.S. Army Drill Sgt. Jessica Mitchell says it was their sweet young soldier shot & killed. pic.twitter.com/W8y9fpqdja

— Morgan Burrell (@Morgan_Burrell) January 2, 2021

Burrell also shared the statement from the Army, saying Mitchell was pronounced dead at University Hospital San Antonio at about 3 a.m. on Friday:

NEW: The Army just emailed us this statement in regards to U.S. Army Drill Sgt. Jessica Mitchell’s death. pic.twitter.com/XyKt0wcwSP

— Morgan Burrell (@Morgan_Burrell) January 2, 2021

“The unit was notified by hospital personnel that Mitchell, who was on holiday leave at the time, was the victim of multiple gunshot wounds. San Antonio Police Department and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the situation,” the statement read.

In an earlier post, Burrell said Mitchell’s 18-year-old brother, Justice, was shot and killed in 2017.

“It’s heartbreaking because what this did is reopen the wound and made it worse,” the young woman’s father, Mayo Mitchell, commented. “It is hard when you lose one child from murder. But it’s even harder when you lose two of your children from murder.”

“I told all my children, I want you to do better than what I have done,” he continued, adding, “She and my children have so far and she wanted to be the best that she can be in her military career. But that was cut short.”

Mitchell’s sister, Ashley, said she was posting on social media just hours before her death.

“It was the same video of her party and having a good time being Jessica, you know, ringing in the new year and then that’s, you know that shortly after it you know, it was just taken from her for no reason,” she stated.