A sailor aboard the USS, George Washington, in Virginia, was fatally shot dead last week – the third sailor assigned to the ship to take his own life this month, and the 7th this year, according to reports.
Chief sailor Xavier Hunter Mitchell-Sandor died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 15, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Virginia confirmed, the US Naval News Institute reported.
Officers from the Naval Criminal Investigation Service have not confirmed whether Mitchell-Sandor was on duty at the time or using a service weapon. Other details of the incident were not released while the investigation is ongoing.
“NCIS is conducting an in-depth investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of MASR Xavier Mitchell-Sandor, as we are doing in response to all non-fatal, medically unattended deaths of members of the Navy,” spokesman Jeff Houston told USNI News in a statement.
According to the Navy, Mitchell-Sandor was found unsuitable on board the ship. He was transported to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, where he was pronounced dead.
Mitchell-Sandor, reportedly enlisted in August, is the third soldier on board to commit suicide this week.
Recent incidents aboard the USS George Washington are still under investigation. Joe Jung-ho / Yonhap / Reuters
Class 3 retail services specialist Mikail Sharp took his own life on April 9, followed by Class 3 electrical communications technician Natasha Huffman on April 10, according to USNI News.
A fourth sailor died of suicide in December, the newspaper said. A total of seven USS George Washington sailors have died in the past 12 months.
“We can confirm a total of seven deaths of servicemen assigned to the USS George Washington in the last 12 months – 4 in 2021 and 3 in 2022,” said a spokesman for the Atlantic Navy. Robert Myers told USNI News in a statement.
“The circumstances surrounding these incidents vary and it is premature to make assumptions, as some incidents are still being investigated.
The carrier is moored at Newport News Shipbuilding for maintenance, in the final phase of a five-year setup.
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