The Slatest

Three Marines at Virginia Base Dead in Double Murder-Suicide

Newly commissioned United States Marine Corps 2nd lieutenants listen to a speech at the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School commissioning ceremony in Quantico

Department of Defense photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

It’s been a tragic week for the Marine Corps. After seven died Monday during a training exercise, three more died this morning in shootings at a base in northern Virginia. An active-duty Marine shot and killed two colleagues at a barracks in the Officer Candidate School at the Marine Corps Base Quantico before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said this morning. Authorities were first called to the scene at around 10:30 p.m., reports the Associated Press. That’s when they found one Marine dead in the barracks.

The shooter then seized a female Marine and killed her, before turning the gun on himself, reports the Washington Post, noting that all the shootings took place in the Taylor Hall barracks. All three Marines were staff members at the school. Although early reports referred to a standoff with authorities, officials later denied that was the case. The base was put on lockdown at 11 p.m. and all residents were notified to stay indoors. The lockdown was lifted at 2:30 a.m., reports ABC News.